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Novae: meaning, definitions and examples

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novae

 

[ หˆnoสŠvษ™ ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

astronomy phenomenon

A nova is a strong increase in brightness of a star, often associated with an explosive thermonuclear reaction on the surface of a white dwarf. This phenomenon occurs in binary star systems where one star is a giant and the other is a white dwarf. The white dwarf can accumulate material from the giant star, leading to a runaway fusion reaction that causes the star to brighten significantly, sometimes by up to a million times its normal brightness. Novae are different from supernovae, which involve the complete explosion of a star.

Synonyms

exploding star, nova explosion, stellar event

Examples of usage

  • The nova was visible from Earth for several weeks.
  • Astronomers studied the light curve of the nova.
  • A distant nova illuminated the night sky.
  • The discovery of the nova sparked interest in stellar evolution.

Translations

Translations of the word "novae" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น novae

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคจเคตเคพเค

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Novae

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ novae

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะฝะพะฒะฐั”

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ novae

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ใƒŽใƒดใ‚กใ‚จ

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท novae

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ novae

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท novae

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๋…ธ๋ฐ”์—

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ู†ูˆุงูŠ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ novae

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ novae

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ๆ–ฐๆ˜Ÿ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ novae

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ novae

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะฝะพะฒะฐะต

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒœแƒแƒ•แƒแƒ”

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ novae

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ novae

Etymology

The term 'nova' comes from the Latin word 'novus', meaning 'new'. It was first used in this astronomical context by the Dutch astronomer Tycho Brahe in the late 16th century when he noticed a 'new star' in the constellation Cassiopeia in 1572. This event was later understood to be a nova, marking the birth of the term as it is used today in astronomy. The understanding of novae evolved over the centuries as further discoveries were made about the life cycles of stars, leading to the distinctions between novae and supernovae. The use of 'novae' as the plural form is derived from classical Latin conventions, reflecting the connection between the explosion of these stars and their appearance as new signs in the night sky.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #29,852, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.