Barycenter
Pronunciation:
BAR-ee-sen-ter
Definition:
The center of mass of two or more celestial bodies in orbit around each other.
Sample Sentence:
The barycenter of the Earth and the Moon is constantly changing due to the Moon’s elliptical orbit, but it is located about 4600 km from Earth’s center.
Image Credit: NASA Space Place.
Baryon
Pronunciation:
BAR-ee-on
Definition:
A subatomic particle composed of three quarks, such as a proton or neutron.
Sample Sentence:
The baryon is the most stable form of matter, and is the building block of all atoms.
Image Credit: File:Pentaquark-generic.svg by Smurrayinchester.
Beaming Effect
Pronunciation:
BEE-ming ef-fect
Definition:
The phenomenon in which a particle’s momentum is increased due to its interaction with a strong external force.
Sample Sentence:
The beaming effect can be observed when a particle is accelerated by an electric field or a magnetic field.
Beta Cephei Variable
Pronunciation:
BAY-tuh SEP-ee VAR-ee-uh-buhl
Definition:
A type of variable star that pulsates in brightness due to changes in its internal temperature.
Sample Sentence:
Beta Cephei Variable stars are often used by astronomers to measure distances in space.
Image credit: PopePompus, 2022-08-15, Own work.
Big Bang
Pronunciation:
BIG BANG
Definition:
The prevailing cosmological model that explains the origin of the universe, stating that the universe was formed from a singularity, an infinitely hot and dense point, which expanded rapidly, eventually cooling to form the matter we observe today.
Sample Sentence:
The Big Bang theory is widely accepted among scientists as the most plausible explanation for the origin of the universe.
Credit: Photo by Annatsach
