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 F 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 |
|---|---|
| Fafnir | An outer main-belt asteroid named after a mythical dragon. |
| Faulkes Telescope | A network of robotic telescopes used for educational and research purposes. |
| Feather Galaxy | A barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Eridanus. |
| Felicity | An inner main-belt asteroid named after the Latin word for “happiness.” |
| Fermi Paradox | The apparent contradiction between the high probability of extraterrestrial life and the lack of contact or evidence of such civilizations. |
| Field of View | The extent of the observable universe or the area visible through a telescope or instrument. |
| Fireworks Galaxy | Also known as NGC 6946, it is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Cepheus. |
| Fission | A nuclear reaction in which a nucleus splits into two smaller nuclei, releasing energy. |
| Flame Nebula | An emission nebula located in the constellation Orion. |
| Flaming Star Nebula | A diffuse emission nebula in the constellation Auriga. |
| Flammarion Engraving | A famous 19th-century wood engraving depicting a person reaching through the sky to explore the cosmos. |
| Flora | An inner main-belt asteroid, one of the largest stony (S-type) asteroids. |
| Flux | The amount of energy or particles passing through a given area in a given time. |
| Flyby | A space mission that involves passing close to a celestial body without entering orbit. |
| Focal Length | The distance between a lens or mirror’s focal point and its optical center. |
| Focus | The point at which rays of light (or other waves) meet after passing through a lens or reflecting off a mirror. |
| Fomalhaut | A bright star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus, known for its debris disk and possible exoplanet. |
| Fomalhaut b | A directly imaged exoplanet orbiting the star Fomalhaut. |
| Fornax | A faint constellation in the Southern Hemisphere. |
| Fornax A | A radio galaxy and powerful source of radio waves in the constellation Fornax. |
| Fornax Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy | A dwarf galaxy in the constellation Fornax. |
| Fornax Galaxy Cluster | A cluster of galaxies in the constellation Fornax. |
| Fortuna | An inner main-belt asteroid and one of the first discovered asteroids. |
| Fox Fur Nebula | A reflection nebula located in the constellation Monoceros. |
| Friedrich Bessel | A bright, nearby star in the constellation Pegasus. |
| Frigg | An outer main-belt asteroid named after a Norse goddess. |
| Frosty Leo Nebula | A planetary nebula located in the constellation Leo. |
| Fuhrmann’s Star | A binary star system in the constellation Canis Major. |
| Full Moon | The phase of the Moon when its entire face is illuminated as seen from Earth. |
| Fusion | A nuclear reaction in which two atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy. |
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