(Encyclopedia) navigation satellite, artificial satellite designed expressly to aid the navigation of sea and air traffic. Early navigation satellites, from the Transit series launched in 1960 to the…
(Encyclopedia) Bruno, GiordanoBruno, Giordanojōrdäˈnō br&oomacr;ˈnō [key], 1548–1600, Italian philosopher, b. Nola. The son of a professional soldier, he entered the Dominican order early in his…
Michelangelo's David(1504)Tasha VincentMartin Luther(1483–1546)Henry VIII(1491–1547)Queen Elizabeth I(1533–1603)William Shakespeare(1564–1616)Rembrandt van Rijn(1606–1669)Catherine de Medici(1519–…
(Encyclopedia) mechanics, branch of physics concerned with motion and the forces that tend to cause it; it includes study of the mechanical properties of matter, such as density, elasticity, and…
(Encyclopedia) astrology, form of divination based on the theory that the movements of the celestial bodies—the stars, the planets, the sun, and the moon—influence human affairs and determine the…
(Encyclopedia) aerial and satellite photography, technology and science of taking still or moving-picture photographs from a camera mounted on a balloon, airplane, satellite, rocket, or spacecraft.…
(Encyclopedia) JupiterJupiterj&oomacr;ˈpətər [key], in astronomy, 5th planet from the sun and largest planet of the solar system.
Astronomers have discovered 79 satellites orbiting Jupiter,…
(Encyclopedia) pendulum, a mass, called a bob, suspended from a fixed point so that it can swing in an arc determined by its momentum and the force of gravity. The length of a pendulum is the…
(Encyclopedia) space probe, space vehicle carrying sophisticated instrumentation but no crew, designed to explore various aspects of the solar system (see space exploration). Unlike an artificial…
