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.
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
Dutton's Navigation and Piloting, 14th editionA black hole forms when a star or other celestial object collapses under the pull of its own gravity.—Mary Durack Miller
Mary Durack Millercalled also heavenly body
Examples of celestial body in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This means that the celestial body is at its peak activity, releasing higher levels of radiation and solar particles.
—Devika Rao, theweek, 28 May 2024
However, this reclassification has not caused Arizona's pride in the celestial body to wane.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 26 Mar. 2024
This is the problem of trying to predict the motion of three celestial bodies based on their initial positions and velocities.
—Andrew F. Krepinevich Jr., Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
Since then, humans have used increasingly powerful versions of telescopes to track celestial bodies with our eyes.
—Andre Mouchard, Orange County Register, 19 May 2024
Vedic astrology is the study and belief that the celestial bodies, stars and planets influence our lives.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 15 May 2024
The sandy planets even both have twin celestial bodies viewable from the surface – two suns on Tatooine and two moons on Arrakis.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 4 May 2024
No other celestial body in the solar system seems to present similar pockmarks.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
On Tuesday, Arati Prabhakar, the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), asked NASA to establish a unified standard time for the moon and other celestial bodies.
—Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
Devika Rao, theweek, 28 May 2024
However, this reclassification has not caused Arizona's pride in the celestial body to wane.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 26 Mar. 2024
This is the problem of trying to predict the motion of three celestial bodies based on their initial positions and velocities.
—Andrew F. Krepinevich Jr., Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
Since then, humans have used increasingly powerful versions of telescopes to track celestial bodies with our eyes.
—Andre Mouchard, Orange County Register, 19 May 2024
Vedic astrology is the study and belief that the celestial bodies, stars and planets influence our lives.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 15 May 2024
The sandy planets even both have twin celestial bodies viewable from the surface – two suns on Tatooine and two moons on Arrakis.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 4 May 2024
No other celestial body in the solar system seems to present similar pockmarks.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
On Tuesday, Arati Prabhakar, the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), asked NASA to establish a unified standard time for the moon and other celestial bodies.
—Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'celestial body.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near celestial body
Cite this Entry
“Celestial body.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/celestial%20body. Accessed 16 Jun. 2024.
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