TERMIUM Plus®

From: Translation Bureau

On social media

Consult the Government of Canada’s terminology data bank.

ZODIACAL LIGHT [5 records]

Filter results by subject field Alphabetical list of terms

Filter results by subject field

Alphabetical list of terms

Record 1 2022-01-04

English

Subject field(s)
  • Astrophysics and Cosmography
  • Space Physics
CONT

Interstellar objects range from dust particles up to the size of planets. Cosmic dust was known to exist in interstellar space for more than a century, supplementing the solar system dust—known from its reflected sunlight, which is observed as zodiacal light.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Astrophysique et cosmographie
  • Physique spatiale
CONT

Il y a quelques mois avait été émise l'hypothèse que le mystérieux objet interstellaire ʻOumuamua soit composé de glace de dihydrogène. Cette hypothèse est aujourd'hui rejetée. Un tel iceberg de dihydrogène n'aurait pas pu survivre à son voyage depuis son lieu de formation jusqu'au système solaire.

Spanish

Save record 1

Record 2 2015-03-11

English

Subject field(s)
  • Meteorology
  • Astronomy
DEF

Faint spot of light, round or elongated, in the night sky at the antisolar point [i. e., 180° from the sun], linking the east and west zodiacal lights.

CONT

gegenschein or counterglow... is caused by reflection of sunlight by small dust particles that lie in the plane of the solar system. It is possible that these particles are part of a tail of the earth, extending away from the sun like the tail of a comet. The gegenschein is one of several skyglows that also include the zodiacal light and the zodiacal band.

CONT

[The] counterglow ... very difficult to observe [is] caused by very thinly spread interplanetary material.

OBS

gegenschein: often capitalized.

OBS

counterglow: usually known by its German name, the Gegenschein.

Key term(s)
  • counter-glow

French

Domaine(s)
  • Météorologie
  • Astronomie
DEF

Faible tache lumineuse, ronde ou allongée, apparaissant dans le ciel nocturne au point antisolaire [i.e., à 180 degrés du Soleil] et réunissant les lumières zodiacales ouest et est.

CONT

La lumière zodiacale et le gegenschein sont causés par la poussière interplanétaire.

OBS

Gegenschein : terme allemand généralement employé pour désigner la lumière antisolaire.

Key term(s)
  • lumière anti-solaire
  • lueur anti-solaire

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Meteorología
  • Astronomía
DEF

Débil mancha luminosa, redonda o alargada, que se observa en el cielo nocturno en el punto antisolar, uniendo las luces zodiacales del este y del oeste.

OBS

Gegenschein: término alemán generalmente utilizado para designar la luz antisolar.

Save record 2

Record 3 2004-11-16

English

Subject field(s)
  • Geophysics
  • Astrochemistry and Cosmochemistry
  • Atmospheric Physics
DEF

A cone of light extending upward from the horizon in the direction of the ecliptic.

CONT

The material that leaves comets may in part account for the myriads of tiny particles that pervade the solar system. These particles become visible just after sunset or before sunrise as a faint glow extending up into the sky from a point on the horizon just above the sun. The faint glow follows the ecliptic and is called the "zodiacal light", for it is seen along the zodiac(the band of twelve constellations along the ecliptic).

OBS

zodiacal light. It is seen from tropical latitudes for a few hours after sunset or before sunrise.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Géophysique
  • Astrochimie et cosmochimie
  • Physique de l'atmosphère
DEF

Lueur faible et diffuse, concentrée autour du Soleil, dans le plan de l'écliptique, observable en début et fin de nuit; elle est due à la diffusion de la lumière solaire par la matière interplanétaire.

CONT

lumière zodiacale : Lumière blanche ou jaunâtre [...] On l'observe lorsque le fond du ciel est suffisamment noir et l'atmosphère suffisamment limpide.

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Geofísica
  • Astroquímica y cosmoquímica
  • Física de la atmósfera
DEF

Franja luminosa más brillante que la vía Láctea, que puede verse en el cielo por occidente tras el ocaso, o por oriente antes del alba.

Save record 3

Record 4 2004-02-05

English

Subject field(s)
  • Atmospheric Physics
DEF

Faint light, other than moonlight and starlight, which is visible in the night sky.

CONT

night-sky light : It comes from four main sources : airglow, diffuse Galactic light, Zodiacal light, and the light from these sources scattered by the troposphere.

Key term(s)
  • night-glow
  • night glow
  • night-sky luminescence
  • night-sky radiation
  • light of the night-sky

French

Domaine(s)
  • Physique de l'atmosphère
DEF

Faible lumière, autre que celle de la Lune et des étoiles, qui est visible dans le ciel nocturne.

CONT

Luminescence nocturne. [...] La lumière nocturne n'est pas due essentiellement à la lumière des étoiles, mais à une luminosité propre à l'atmosphère. L'analyse de la lueur nocturne est plus difficile que celle des aurores, car son intensité est beaucoup plus faible.

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Física de la atmósfera
DEF

Luz débil, distinta de la luz de la Luna y de las estrellas, que es visible en el cielo nocturno.

Save record 4

Record 5 1977-09-14

English

Subject field(s)
  • Astronomy
OBS

Two parts of the corona are recognized : the inner "real" part, or K corona, and the outer, "false" part, or F(Fraunhofer) corona. The F corona has a solar-type spectrum that shows it to be sunlight, apparently reflected by tiny particles; presumably the F corona is an inner extension of the zodiacal light.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Astronomie
OBS

La couronne de Fraunhofer n'a rien à voir avec l'atmosphère solaire. C'est une lumière solaire diffusée sur de menus grains de poussière interplanétaire de l'espace entre la Terre et le Soleil.

Spanish

Save record 5

Copyright notice for the TERMIUM Plus® data bank

© Public Services and Procurement Canada, 2026
TERMIUM Plus®, the Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank
A product of the Translation Bureau

Display options

Change the order of display of the official languages of Canada
Option to display the non-official languages (Spanish or Portuguese)
Display definitions, contexts, etc., on records

Features

GCtranslate (available on the Government of Canada network only)

Use this artificial intelligence prototype to translate Government of Canada content up to and including Protected B. Available to employees of selected departments and agencies only.

Writing tools

The Language Portal’s writing tools have a new look! Easy to consult, they give you access to a wealth of information that will help you write better in English and French.

Glossaries and vocabularies

Access Translation Bureau glossaries and vocabularies.

Date Modified: