sidereal year

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. a division of time equal to the equinoctial year plus 20 minutes, representing the time required for the earth to complete one revolution around the sun, measured with relation to the fixed stars.

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sidereal year British  

noun

1. See year

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Etymology

Origin of sidereal year

First recorded in 1675–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sidereal year

Mrs. B. I must also explain to you what is meant by a sidereal year.

From Conversations on Natural Philosophy, in which the Elements of that Science are Familiarly Explained by Thomas P. Jones

The earth’s axis rotates about the pole of the ecliptic, making one revolution and a twenty-six thousandth part of a revolution in the sidereal year, in the opposite direction to its orbital motion.

From History of Astronomy by George Forbes

In order to ascertain when the earth has performed an entire revolution in its orbit, we must observe when the sun returns in conjunction with any fixed star; and this is called a sidereal year.

From Conversations on Natural Philosophy, in which the Elements of that Science are Familiarly Explained by Thomas P. Jones

Thus the Babylonians had fixed the length of a tropical year within twenty-five seconds of the truth; their estimate of the sidereal year was barely two minutes in excess.

From History of the Conflict Between Religion and Science by John William Draper

The length of the sidereal year is 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes.

From The Astronomy of the Bible An Elementary Commentary on the Astronomical References of Holy Scripture by E. Walter (Edward Walter) Maunder