Dictionary of Astrological and Astronomical Terms
Compiled by Julene Johnson, Evan Bortnick, and Jackie Goldstein
Copyright 2000-2010 OCA, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of the dictionary may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
Elongation
The maximum angular distance that Mercury and Venus travel from the Sun. Because these two planets lie between Earth and the Sun, they appear to travel with the Sun so that Mercury is never more than 28 degrees from the Sun and Venus is never more than 46 degrees from the Sun. Elongation also refers to the maximum distance that any satellite (such as our Moon) moves from the body around which it travels (such as Earth).
Related terms:
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Return to main dictionary page
All material at this Web site is Copyright © 1997-2010 by OCA, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission is prohibited.