celestial body

noun

variants or less commonly celestial object

plural celestial bodies also celestial objects

: an aggregation of matter in the universe (such as a planet, star, or nebula) that can be considered as a single unit (as for astronomical study)

But many scientists began seriously rethinking their notions of the solar system in 1992, when we identified a small celestial body—just a few hundred kilometers across—sited farther from the sun than any of the known planets.

—Jane X. Luu et al.

As the observer looks at a star or other celestial body its light rays pass through a single point on the earth's surface.

—Dutton's Navigation and Piloting, 14th edition

A black hole forms when a star or other celestial object collapses under the pull of its own gravity.

—Mary Durack Miller

called also heavenly body

Examples of celestial body in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For example, the first mile-sized planetesimals in our solar system–which grew to become celestial bodies like Earth or Jupiter’s core–formed right after the condensation of these same crystalline minerals. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 July 2025

Believed to be a comet, the object is only the third celestial body from beyond our solar system ever to be observed in our corner of the universe. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 3 July 2025

Both celestial bodies will fade quickly in the growing light of dawn. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025

Now, scientists have discovered that these celestial bodies may have more in common than once thought. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for celestial body

• passamaquoddy
• afterbody
• antibody
• busybody
• everybody
• autoantibody
• bawdy
• gaudy
• khadi
• mahdi
• noddy
• oddi