(Encyclopedia) polarization of light, orientation of the vibration pattern of light waves in a singular plane.
Unpolarized light can be converted into a single polarized beam by means of the Nicol…
(Encyclopedia) observatory, orbiting, research satellite designed to study solar radiation, electromagnetic radiation from distant stars, the earth's atmosphere, or the like. Because the atmosphere…
(Encyclopedia) virtual observatory, a collection of integrated astronomical data archives and software tools that utilize computer networks to create an environment in which research can be conducted…
(Encyclopedia) Brown, John Carter, 1797–1874, American book collector and philanthropist, b. Providence, R.I.; son of Nicholas Brown. In about 1840 he began collecting books printed before 1800…
(Encyclopedia) Paskevich, Ivan FeodorovichPaskevich, Ivan Feodorovichēvänˈ fyôˈdərəvĭch pəskyĕˈvĭch [key], 1782–1856, Russian army officer and administrator. He fought in the Napoleonic Wars, was…
(Encyclopedia) neutron star, extremely small, extremely dense star, with as much as double the sun's mass but only a few miles in radius, in the final stage of stellar evolution. Astronomers Baade…
