Encke's comet

American  

[eng-kuhz, -keez] / ˈɛŋ kəz, -kiz /

noun

1. a comet, discovered by J.L. Pons, with a period of 3.3 years, the shortest period known.

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Etymology

Origin of Encke's comet

Named after Johann F. Encke (1791–1865), German astronomer

Example Sentences

Some, like Encke's comet, which makes a pass around the sun every 3.3 years, have relatively small orbits.

From Time Magazine Archive

The shape of that path and its position depend entirely upon those other bodies of the solar system which are specially involved in the theory of Encke's comet.

From The Story of the Heavens by Ball, Robert S. (Robert Stawell), Sir

Hardly a trace of uncertainty clings to this determination, and it is therefore of great interest to test the theory of Encke's comet by seeing whether it gives an accordant result.

From The Story of the Heavens by Ball, Robert S. (Robert Stawell), Sir

The three bodies are known as, first, Encke's comet; second, Biela's comet; third, the November swarm of meteors.

From Pioneers of Science by Lodge, Oliver, Sir

Encke's comet long manifested the most remarkable feature of a shortening of its period by about two and a half hours in each revolution.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 2: Ebert to Estremadura by Various