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 Z 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 |
|---|---|
| Zaniah | A star in the constellation Virgo, also known as Eta Virginis. |
| Zaurak | A star in the constellation Eridanus, also known as Gamma Eridani. |
| Zelinda | An asteroid in the main asteroid belt, named after the heroine in Voltaire’s “Zadig.” |
| Zenith | The point in the sky directly above an observer. |
| Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) | The number of meteors an observer would see under ideal conditions if the radiant of a meteor shower were directly overhead (at the zenith). |
| Zenobia | An asteroid in the main asteroid belt, named after Zenobia, a queen of the Palmyrene Empire in the 3rd century. |
| Zephyr | An asteroid in the main asteroid belt, named after the Greek god of the west wind. |
| Zero Gravity | The condition in which the apparent gravitational force acting on a body is greatly reduced or eliminated, as experienced by astronauts in orbit. |
| Zeus | An asteroid in the main asteroid belt, named after Zeus, the king of the gods in Greek mythology. |
| Zibal | A star system in the constellation Eridanus, consisting of a binary pair of stars. |
| Zubenelgenubi | A star in the constellation Libra, also known as Alpha Librae, representing the “Southern Claw” of the scorpion in ancient times. |
| Zubenelhakrabi | A star system in the constellation Libra, also known as Beta Librae, representing the “Northern Claw” of the scorpion in ancient times. |
| Zvezda | A module of the International Space Station (ISS) that provides living quarters for crew members. The name means “star” in Russian. |
| Zwicky’s Triplet | A group of three interacting galaxies in the constellation Virgo, also known as ARP 103. |
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