from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Solar \So"lar\, a. [L. solaris, fr. sol the sun; akin to As.
s[=o]l, Icel. s[=o]l, Goth. sauil, Lith. saule, W. haul,.
sul, Skr. svar, perhaps to E. sun:F. solaire. Cf. {Parasol}.
{Sun}.]
1. Of or pertaining to the sun; proceeding from the sun; as,
the solar system; solar light; solar rays; solar
influence. See {Solar system}, below.
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2. (Astrol.) Born under the predominant influence of the sun.
[Obs.]
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And proud beside, as solar people are. --Dryden.
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3. Measured by the progress or revolution of the sun in the
ecliptic; as, the solar year.
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4. Produced by the action of the sun, or peculiarly affected
by its influence.
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They denominate some herbs solar, and some lunar.
--Bacon.
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{Solar cycle}. See under {Cycle}.
{Solar day}. See {Day}, 2.
{Solar engine}, an engine in which the energy of solar heat
is used to produce motion, as in evaporating water for a
steam engine, or expanding air for an air engine.
{Solar flowers} (Bot.), flowers which open and shut daily at
certain hours.
{Solar lamp}, an argand lamp.
{Solar microscope}, a microscope consisting essentially,
first, of a mirror for reflecting a beam of sunlight
through the tube, which sometimes is fixed in a window
shutter; secondly, of a condenser, or large lens, for
converging the beam upon the object; and, thirdly, of a
small lens, or magnifier, for throwing an enlarged image
of the object at its focus upon a screen in a dark room or
in a darkened box.
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{Solar month}. See under {Month}.
{Solar oil}, a paraffin oil used an illuminant and lubricant.
{Solar phosphori} (Physics), certain substances, as the
diamond, siulphide of barium (Bolognese or Bologna
phosphorus), calcium sulphide, etc., which become
phosphorescent, and shine in the dark, after exposure to
sunlight or other intense light.
{Solar plexus} (Anat.), a nervous plexus situated in the
dorsal and anterior part of the abdomen, consisting of
several sympathetic ganglia with connecting and radiating
nerve fibers; -- so called in allusion to the radiating
nerve fibers.
{Solar spots}. See {Sun spots}, under {Sun}.
{Solar system} (Astron.), the sun, with the group of
celestial bodies which, held by its attraction, revolve
round it. The system comprises the major planets, with
their satellites; the minor planets, or asteroids, and the
comets; also, the meteorids, the matter that furnishes the
zodiacal light, and the rings of Saturn. The satellites
that revolve about the major planets are twenty-two in
number, of which the Earth has one (see {Moon}.), Mars
two, Jupiter five, Saturn nine, Uranus four, and Neptune
one. The asteroids, between Mars and Jupiter, thus far
discovered (1900), number about five hundred, the first
four of which were found near the beginning of the
century, and are called Ceres, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta.
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Note: The principal elements of the major planets, and of the
comets seen at more than one perihelion passage, are
exhibited in the following tables:
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distance -- that of the Earth being unity.Period in
days.Eccentricity.Inclination of orbit.Diameter in
miles ?????????????????????
[1913 Webster] II. -- Periodic Comets. Name.Greatest
distance from sun.Least distance from sun.Inclination
of orbit.Perihelion passage. [deg] [min] 54
Encke's3.314.100.34212 541885.2 ?????????????????????
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{Solar telegraph}, telegraph for signaling by flashes of
reflected sunlight.
{Solar time}. See {Apparent time}, under {Time}.
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