List of common astronomy symbols
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a compilation of symbols commonly used in astronomy, particularly professional astronomy.
Contents |
[edit] Astrometry parameters
Astrometry Parameters
- M - mean anomaly
- Rv - radial velocity
- μ - proper motion
- π - parallax
- J - Epoch
[edit] Distance description
Distance description for Orbital and non-Orbital Parameters:
- d - distance
- d - in km = kilometer
- d - in mi = mile, note, not an SI unit
- d - in AU = astronomical unit
- d - in ly = light year
- d - in kly = kilolight year (1000 x 1ly)
- d - in pc = parsec
- d - in kpc = kiloparsec (1000 x 1pc)
- DL - Luminosity distance, obtaining an objects distance using only visual aspects
[edit] Galaxy comparism
Galaxy type and spectral comparism:
[edit] Luminosity comparism
Luminosity comparism:
[edit] Mass comparism
Mass comparism:
- ME - Mass compared to Earth
- M⊕ - Mass compared to Earth
- MJ - Mass compared to Jupiter
- M♃ - Mass compared to Jupiter
- MS - Mass compared to the Sun (Sol)
- Mʘ - Mass compared to The Sun (Sol)
[edit] Metallicity comparism
Metallicity comparism:
- Fe/H - Iron ratio to Hydrogen, a logarithm representation of the ratio of a star's iron abundance compared to that of the Sun
- Z - Metallicity
- ZS - Metallicity compared to the Sun (Sol)
- Zʘ - Metallicity compared to the Sun (Sol)
[edit] Orbital parameters
Orbital Parameters of a Cosmic Object:
- á - RA, right ascension
- ä - Dec, declination
- e - eccentricity
- a - semi-major axis, the average distance
- q - periapsis, the minimum distance
- Q - apsis, the maximum distance
- P - orbital period
- i - inclination
- Ω - longitude of ascending node
- ω - argument of periapsis
[edit] Radius comparism
Radius comparism:
- RE - Radius compared to Earth
- R⊕ - Radius compared to Earth
- RJ - Radius compared to Jupiter
- R♃ - Radius compared to Jupiter
- RS - Radius compared to The Sun (Sol)
- Rʘ - Radius compared to The Sun (Sol)
[edit] Spectral comparism
Spectral comparism:
- see Stellar classification
- m - Apparent magnitude
- MV - Absolute magnitude, for galaxies and stars
- H - Absolute magnitude, for planets and nonstellar objects
[edit] Temperature description
Temperature description:
- Teff - Temperature Effect, usually associated with luminous object
- Tmax - Temperature Maximum, usually associated with non-luminous object
- Tavg - Temperature Average, usually associated with non-luminous object
- Tmin - Temperature Minimum, usually associated with non-luminous object
- K - Kelvin
