There are so many astronomical objects out there behaving in mysterious ways that astronomers are still trying to figure out. A brand new set of words and language has to be invented every time something is discovered and that is part of what makes the study of space so interesting. There’s so much out there that is waiting to be found.
The use of mythological and ancient names to name all the objects that are in space has also always given astronomy an air of mystery and wonder that attracts all kinds of people and incentivizes them to look at the sky every night.
There are so many space-related words and terms that it is hard to keep up.
This is why below, we have compiled a list of space words that start with E so you can learn more about the study of the universe. These are words that are related to astronomy and space, if what you are looking for is specifically for name ideas or the names of objects, check out our lists of star names, planets, or constellations. You will also find those sorted by letter.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Eagle Nebula | Also known as Messier 16 (M16), a star-forming region in the constellation Serpens. |
| Earth | The third planet from the Sun, known for its diverse ecosystems and life. |
| Earthgrazer | A meteoroid that skims the Earth’s atmosphere and produces a long, bright trail. |
| Earthshine | The faint illumination of the dark side of the Moon by sunlight reflected from Earth. |
| Eccentricity | The measure of how elongated an orbit is (for planets, the degree of deviation from a perfect circle). |
| Eclipse | The partial or complete obscuring of a celestial body by another. |
| Eclipsing Binary | A binary star system where the stars periodically eclipse each other from our perspective. |
| Ecliptic | The plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun, where solar and lunar eclipses occur. |
| Einstein Ring | A phenomenon where the gravitational lensing effect creates a ring-like image of a distant object. |
| Elara | One of Jupiter’s moons, named after a lover of Zeus in Greek mythology. |
| Elliptical Galaxy | A type of galaxy with a flattened, oval shape and low star formation. |
| Elliptical Orbit | An orbit in the shape of an ellipse, with the central body at one of the foci. |
| Emission Line | A specific wavelength of light emitted or absorbed by atoms or molecules. |
| Emission Nebula | A cloud of gas and dust that emits its own light, often seen in star-forming regions. |
| Emission Spectrum | The spectrum of light emitted by a substance, often used to identify its composition. |
| Enceladus | A moon of Saturn, known for its active geysers and potential subsurface ocean. |
| Equatorial Coordinates | A system for locating objects in the sky using declination and right ascension. |
| Equatorial Mount | A telescope mount aligned with Earth’s equatorial axis for easier tracking of celestial objects. |
| Equinox | The two points in Earth’s orbit where day and night are approximately equal. |
| Eris | A dwarf planet located beyond Pluto in the Kuiper Belt. |
| Escape Velocity | The minimum speed an object must reach to break free from a celestial body’s gravitational pull. |
| Eta Carinae | A massive, luminous star system in the Carina constellation. |
| Europa | One of Jupiter’s moons, with a subsurface ocean that may harbor life. |
| Event Horizon | The boundary around a black hole beyond which escape is impossible. |
| Eventide | The time of evening or sunset on a celestial body. |
| Exoplanet | A planet that orbits a star outside our solar system. |
| Exosphere | The outermost layer of a planet’s atmosphere, transitioning into space. |
| Extragalactic | Objects or phenomena that are located outside our Milky Way galaxy. |
| Eyepiece | The lens or group of lenses in a telescope used for observing. |
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