reagent any compound, mixture, or substance, other than a solvent or catalyst, added to another substance to test for chemical reaction in order to expose the presence or absence of a specific chemical. Also known as a reactant.
rectify to refine or purify by distillation.
reversible reaction a chemical reaction that can produce a product that may be reverted back to its original constituents.
solute that which gets dissolved when immersed in a solvent.
solution a homogeneous mixture.
solvent any substance, usually liquid, with the ability to dissolve other substances.
sorption absorption of a gas by a solid.
stoichiometry the study of the relationships of the volumes of substances and reactants in a chemical reaction, used to calculate how much of various chemicals will be needed to make a final product.
sublimation the process through which a solid turns into a gas without first turning into a liquid, the best example being dry ice.
suspension any solution in which particles have not dissolved.
synthesize to combine two or more elements in order to create a new substance.
titration an analysis to determine the concentration or volume of a reactant.
valency the power within an element to combine with others, measured by its ability to combine or displace atoms. A variant of valence.
volatile any unstable substance that can change rapidly from a solid to a vapor. Also, unstable, as an adjective.
zymergy the chemistry involved in the fermentation process, as in the making of beer or wine.
comets
aphelion the point of a comet's orbit farthest from the Sun.
coma the cloud of diffuse gas and fine particles that surrounds and obscures a comet's nucleus.
dust tail a relatively short, curving tail with a high silica content that, reflected by sunlight, gives off a yellowish hue. Also known as a type-II comet.
elliptical orbit an orbit that traces the path of an ellipse.
exotic ice small components of comet ice made from methane, ammonia, carbon dioxide, or another nonwater source.
fireballs fiery meteors that crash to Earth and are frequently mistaken for comets.
flourescence the radiating of blue fluorescent light from electrically charged monoxide molecules in a comet's coma.
gegenschein "counterglow"; the faint, eerie glow seen in the sky exactly opposite from where the Sun has set, caused by reflected light from a huge ring of cometal debris enveloping the Sun. Same as the zodiacal light but seen in the opposite side of the sky.
hyperbolic comet a distant comet that follows a hyperbolic orbit.
ion tail a long, straight tail colored blue by electrically charged molecules absorbing blue light from the Sun and reradiating it to Earth. Also known as a type-I comet.
long-period comet a comet that takes centuries to complete its orbit.
nucleus the ball of dirty ice at the center of a comet.
Oort cloud a vast, unseen repository of more than 1 trillion comets surrounding the Sun at a distance of 50,000 astronomical units.
English Equivalent
Andromeda Eagle
Charioteer Herdsman Giraffe
Hunting Dogs
Cassiopeia
Cepheus
Berenice's Hair
Northern Crown
Swan
Dolphin
Dragon
Foal
Hercules
Sea Serpent or Monster
Lizard
Little Lion
Lynx
Lyre
perihelion the nearest point to the Sun in a comet's orbit.
perturbation a disturbance in the orbit of a comet by the gravity force from a nearby planet or other large body.
rocket effect the melting and vaporizing of comet ice, forming jets of gas and a rocketing effect that disturbs the orbital path of the comet.
short-period comet a comet that completes its orbit every few years.
type-I comet see ion tail.
type-II comet see dust tail.
zodiacal light same as gegenschein but seen in the opposite side of the sky, above where the Sun has set.
constellations
Constellations of the Northern Hemisphere
Latin Name
Andromeda Aquila Auriga Bodtes
Camelopardalis
Canes Venactici
Cassiopeia
Cepheus
Coma Berenices
Corona Borealis
Cygnus
Delphinus
Draco
Equuleus
Hercules
Hydra
Lacerta
Leo Minor
Lynx
Lyra
Ophiuchus Pegasus Perseus Sagitta
Serpent Bearer Pegasus Perseus Arrow
Serpent Triangle
English Equivalent
Air Pump
Bird of Paradise
Altar
Sculptor's Tool
Greater Dog
Lesser Dog
Keel
Centaur
Whale
Chameleon
Compasses
Dove
Southern Crown
Crow
Cup
Southern Cross
Swordfish
River
Furnace
Crane
Clock
Water Snake
Indian
Hare
Wolf
Table
Microscope Unicorn Southern Fly Square Octant
Orion (the Hunter) Peacock Phoenix Painter Southern Fish Poop (deck of
Sculptor
Great Bear (Big Dipper) Little Bear (Little Dipper) Fox
Constellations of the Southern Hemisphere
Latin Name