perigee

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noun peri·gee \ ˈper-ə-(ˌ)jē \

Definition of perigee

:the point in the orbit of an object (such as a satellite) orbiting the earth that is nearest to the center of the earth; also :the point nearest a planet or a satellite (such as the moon) reached by an object orbiting it — compare apogee

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perigean

play \ˌper-ə-ˈjē-ən\ adjective

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Recent Examples of perigee from the Web

A moon at apogee appears smaller than a moon at perigee, and if an eclipse takes place during one of those high-flying periods, the 400-400 balance between the size of the sun and moon and the distance separating them is thrown off.

— jeffrey kluger, Time, "The Beauty and Science of a Total Solar Eclipse," 18 Aug. 2017
There will be a difficult-to-see new moon May 25, at its monthly perigee (officially, May 26), the closest distance this year to Earth.

— blaine p. friedlander jr., Washington Post, "Skywatch: May evenings are all about Jupiter, followed by Venus," 29 Apr. 2017
And because the size of the moon's orbit varies slightly over time, each month's perigee is not always the same distance from Earth.

— andrew fazekas, National Geographic, "How to See a Meteor Shower During the Last Supermoon of 2016," 12 Dec. 2016
Because its orbit around Earth is egg-shaped, there are times during the lunar cycle when the moon is at its shortest distance from Earth (called perigee) and times when the moon is at its farthest distance from Earth (called apogee).

— andrew fazekas, National Geographic, "How to See the Hunter’s Supermoon," 14 Oct. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'perigee.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of perigee

Middle French, from New Latin perigeum, from Greek perigeion, from neuter of perigeios near the earth, from peri- + gē earth

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1595

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Other Astronomy Terms

gibbous, nadir, nebulous, penumbra, retrograde, sidereal, syzygy, wane, wax, zenith

PERIGEE Defined for English Language Learners

perigee

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noun

Definition of perigee for English Language Learners

: the point in outer space where an object traveling around the Earth (such as a satellite or the moon) is closest to the Earth

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