radar astronomy

noun

: astronomy in which celestial bodies in the solar system are studied by analyzing the return of radio waves directed at them

Examples of radar astronomy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web After the catastrophic collapse of Puerto Rico’s famed Arecibo Observatory, only one other active radar astronomy facility remains: NASA’s Goldstone Solar System Radar, part of the Deep Space Network, which communicates with spacecraft across the solar system. Briley Lewis, Scientific American, 21 Feb. 2023 In Focus ASTRONOMY China plans asteroid hunter China is constructing the world’s largest radar astronomy array, which will help track asteroids that could threaten Earth. Byscience News Staff, science.org, 23 Feb. 2023 But Arecibo’s legacy in radio and radar astronomy and atmospheric physics, as well as its searches for extraterrestrial intelligence and harmful near-Earth objects, had darker origins. Ben Evans, Discover Magazine, 5 Dec. 2022 The observatory’s instruments were used by scientists around the world to conduct research in the areas of atmospheric sciences, planetary sciences, radio astronomy and radar astronomy, according to UCF. Joe Mario Pedersen, orlandosentinel.com, 1 Dec. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'radar astronomy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of radar astronomy was in 1959

Dictionary Entries Near radar astronomy

Cite this Entry

“Radar astronomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/radar%20astronomy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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