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Wegener, Alfred Lothar

(Encyclopedia) Wegener, Alfred LotharWegener, Alfred Lotharälˈfrĕt lōtärˈ vĕgˈənər [key], 1880–1930, German geologist, meteorologist, and Arctic explorer. Early in his life, he was on the staff of…

Oxford, city, England

(Encyclopedia) Oxford, city (1991 pop. 113,847) and district, county seat of Oxfordshire, S central England. In addition to its importance as the site of the Univ. of Oxford, the city has significant…

satellite, artificial

(Encyclopedia) CE5 A. Nimbus weather satellite B. Syncom communications satellite satellite, artificial, object constructed by humans and placed in orbit around the earth or other celestial body…

Transit of Venus: June 8, 2004

A Twice-in-a-Lifetime Event by Shmuel Ross Related Links Sun, Moon, StarsVenusEncyclopedia: transitOnce in a Blue MoonAstronomyThis feature was written in the summer of 2004. Book a trip to…

gamma-ray astronomy

(Encyclopedia) gamma-ray astronomy, study of astronomical objects by analysis of the most energetic electromagnetic radiation they emit. Gamma rays are shorter in wavelength and hence more energetic…

Henry the Navigator

(Encyclopedia) Henry the Navigator, 1394–1460, prince of Portugal, patron of exploration. Because he fought with extraordinary valor in the Portuguese conquest of Ceuta (1415), he was created duke of…

Donner Party

(Encyclopedia) Donner Party, group of emigrants to California who in the winter of 1846–47 met with one of the most famous tragedies in Western history. The California-bound families were mostly from…

Yekaterinburg

(Encyclopedia) Yekaterinburg or EkaterinburgYekaterinburgboth: yĭkäˌtĭrēmb&oobreve;rkˈ [key], formerly SverdlovskYekaterinburgsvyĭrdlôfskˈ [key], city (1989 pop. 1,365,000), capital of the…

Smithsonian Institution

(Encyclopedia) Smithsonian Institution, research and education center, mainly at Washington, D.C.; founded 1846 under the terms of the will of James Smithson of London, who in 1829 bequeathed his…