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Bartlett, Robert Abram

(Encyclopedia)Bartlett, Robert Abram, 1875–1946, American arctic explorer, b. Brigus, near St. John's, N.L., Canada. He accompanied Robert E. Peary on the expeditions of 1897–98 and 1905–6, and in 1908–9 he...

hour circle

(Encyclopedia)hour circle, in astronomy, a secondary axis in the equatorial coordinate system. The hour circle of a celestial body is the great circle on the celestial sphere that passes through both the body and t...

ecliptic coordinate system

(Encyclopedia)ecliptic coordinate system, an astronomical coordinate system in which the principal coordinate axis is the ecliptic, the apparent path of the sun through the heavens. The ecliptic poles are the two p...

MacMillan, Donald Baxter

(Encyclopedia)MacMillan, Donald Baxter, 1874–1970, American arctic explorer, b. Provincetown, Mass., grad. Bowdoin College, 1898, and studied at Harvard. After a decade of teaching, he went on the expedition (190...

May Day

(Encyclopedia)May Day, first day of May. Its celebration probably originated in the spring fertility festivals of India and Egypt. The festival of the Roman goddess of spring, Flora, was celebrated from Apr. 28 to ...

meter, unit of measure

(Encyclopedia)meter, abbr. m, fundamental unit of length in the metric system. The meter was originally defined as 1/10,000,000 of the distance between the equator and either pole; however, the original survey was ...

Sanders, Nicholas

(Encyclopedia)Sanders or Sander, Nicholas, 1530–81, English Roman Catholic churchman. He became prominent at Oxford as an ally of Cardinal Pole and had to flee on the accession of Elizabeth I. He attended the Cou...

Gordius

(Encyclopedia)Gordius gôrˈdēəs [key], in Greek mythology, king of Phrygia. An oracle had told the Phrygians that the king who would put an end to their troubles was approaching in an oxcart, and, thus, when Gor...

Draco, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Draco [Lat.,=the dragon], northern constellation lying SE of Ursa Minor and N of Lyra and Hercules. It is traditionally depicted as a dragon. Draco contains the bright star Eltanin (Gamma Draconis). T...

galactic coordinate system

(Encyclopedia)galactic coordinate system, astronomical coordinate system in which the principal axis is the galactic equator (the intersection of the plane of the Milky Way with the celestial sphere) and the refere...