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periastron

Syllabification: (per·i·as·tron)
Pronunciation: /ˌperēˈastrən/
Definition of periastron

noun

Astronomy
  • the point nearest to a star in the path of a body orbiting that star.

Origin:

mid 19th century: from peri- 'around' + Greek astron 'star', on the pattern of perigee and perihelion

periastron in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of periastron in the British & World English dictionary

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