zodiacal light

noun

: a diffuse glow seen in the west after twilight and in the east before dawn

Examples of zodiacal light in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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That’s really faint, but in certain circumstances the zodiacal light can still be visible to the unaided eye from very dark sites. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2024 The sunlight scattering off this interplanetary dust is called zodiacal light and is roughly 24.5 mag/arcsec2. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2024 Expect exceptional views of the Milky Way, Venus, and Mercury, along with many constellations popularized in local indigenous art and lore (like Orion, Gemini, and Taurus) and maybe even the faint glow of zodiacal light. Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2024 As spring breaks, spectacular celestial sights include a rare chance to see both Mercury and a lunar eclipse—on the same night—as well as the seasonal best performances of both the northern lights and subtle zodiacal light. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 But zodiacal light and Mars, NASA said on its website, may share a deeper connection. Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Aug. 2023 The Milky Way is visible in summer and winter, while the zodiacal light is easy to see with the naked eye in autumn and spring. Gabi De La Rosa, Chron, 10 Feb. 2023 That's called the zodiacal light, and is caused by the reflection of sunlight by dust in the plane of our solar system. Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 30 May 2011 The researchers found that asteroid collisions cannot explain zodiacal light on their own. Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 12 July 2012

Word History

First Known Use

1734, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of zodiacal light was in 1734

Dictionary Entries Near zodiacal light

Cite this Entry

“Zodiacal light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zodiacal%20light. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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