Solar \So"lar\, a. [L. solaris, fr. sol the sun; akin to As.
s[=o]l, Icel. s[=o]l, Goth. sauil, Lith. saule, W. haul,.
sul, Skr. svar, perhaps to E. sun:F. solaire. Cf. Parasol.
Sun.]
1. Of or pertaining to the sun; proceeding from the sun; as,
the solar system; solar light; solar rays; solar
influence. See Solar system, below.
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2. (Astrol.) Born under the predominant influence of the sun.
[Obs.]
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And proud beside, as solar people are. --Dryden.
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3. Measured by the progress or revolution of the sun in the
ecliptic; as, the solar year.
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4. Produced by the action of the sun, or peculiarly affected
by its influence.
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They denominate some herbs solar, and some lunar.
--Bacon.
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Solar cycle. See under Cycle.
Solar day. See Day, 2.
Solar engine, an engine in which the energy of solar heat
is used to produce motion, as in evaporating water for a
steam engine, or expanding air for an air engine.
Solar flowers (Bot.), flowers which open and shut daily at
certain hours.
Solar lamp, an argand lamp.
Solar microscope, a microscope consisting essentially,
first, of a mirror for reflecting a beam of sunlight
through the tube, which sometimes is fixed in a window
shutter; secondly, of a condenser, or large lens, for
converging the beam upon the object; and, thirdly, of a
small lens, or magnifier, for throwing an enlarged image
of the object at its focus upon a screen in a dark room or
in a darkened box.
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Solar month. See under Month.
Solar oil, a paraffin oil used an illuminant and lubricant.
Solar phosphori (Physics), certain substances, as the
diamond, siulphide of barium (Bolognese or Bologna
phosphorus), calcium sulphide, etc., which become
phosphorescent, and shine in the dark, after exposure to
sunlight or other intense light.
Solar plexus (Anat.), a nervous plexus situated in the
dorsal and anterior part of the abdomen, consisting of
several sympathetic ganglia with connecting and radiating
nerve fibers; -- so called in allusion to the radiating
nerve fibers.
Solar spots. See Sun spots, under Sun.
Solar system (Astron.), the sun, with the group of
celestial bodies which, held by its attraction, revolve
round it. The system comprises the major planets, with
their satellites; the minor planets, or asteroids, and the
comets; also, the meteorids, the matter that furnishes the
zodiacal light, and the rings of Saturn. The satellites
that revolve about the major planets are twenty-two in
number, of which the Earth has one (see Moon.), Mars
two, Jupiter five, Saturn nine, Uranus four, and Neptune
one. The asteroids, between Mars and Jupiter, thus far
discovered (1900), number about five hundred, the first
four of which were found near the beginning of the
century, and are called Ceres, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta.
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Note: The principal elements of the major planets, and of the
comets seen at more than one perihelion passage, are
exhibited in the following tables:
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distance -- that of the Earth being unity.Period in
days.Eccentricity.Inclination of orbit.Diameter in
miles ?????????????????????
[1913 Webster] II. -- Periodic Comets. Name.Greatest
distance from sun.Least distance from sun.Inclination
of orbit.Perihelion passage. [deg] [min] 54
Encke's3.314.100.34212 541885.2 ?????????????????????
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Solar telegraph, telegraph for signaling by flashes of
reflected sunlight.
Solar time. See Apparent time, under Time.
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Phosphorus \Phos"phor*us\ (f[o^]s"f[o^]r*[u^]s), n.; pl.
Phosphori (f[o^]s"f[o^]r*[imac]). [L., the morning star,
Gr. fwsfo`ros, lit., light bringer; fw^s light + fe`rein to
bring.]
1. The morning star; Phosphor.
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2. (Chem.) A poisonous nonmetallic element of the nitrogen
group, obtained as a white, or yellowish, translucent waxy
substance, having a characteristic disagreeable smell;
this waxy allotropic form is also called yellow
phosphorus, to distinguish it from another allotropic
form, red phosphorus. It is very active chemically, must
be preserved under water, and unites with oxygen even at
ordinary temperatures, giving a faint glow, -- whence its
name. It always occurs combined, usually in phosphates, as
in the mineral apatite, in bones, etc. It is used in the
composition on the tips of friction matches, and for many
other purposes. It is an essential component of the
genetic material of all living organisms. The molecule
contains four atoms. Symbol P. Atomic weight 31.0.
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3. (Chem.) Hence, any substance which shines in the dark like
phosphorus, as certain phosphorescent bodies.
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Bologna phosphorus (Chem.), sulphide of barium, which
shines in the dark after exposure to light; -- so called
because this property was discovered by a resident of
Bologna. The term is sometimes applied to other compounds
having similar properties.
Metallic phosphorus (Chem.), an allotropic modification of
phosphorus, obtained as a gray metallic crystalline
substance, having very inert chemical properties. It is
obtained by heating ordinary phosphorus in a closed vessel
at a high temperature.
Phosphorus disease (Med.), a disease common among workers
in phosphorus, giving rise to necrosis of the jawbone, and
other symptoms.
Red phosphorus, or Amorphous phosphorus (Chem.), an
allotropic modification of phosphorus, obtained as a dark
red powder by heating ordinary phosphorus in closed
vessels. It is not poisonous, is not phosphorescent, and
is only moderately active chemically. It is valuable as a
chemical reagent, and is used in the composition of the
friction surface on which safety matches are ignited.
Solar phosphori (Chem.), phosphorescent substances which
shine in the dark after exposure to the sunlight or other
intense light.
yellow phosphorus (Chem.), the waxy yellow allotropic form
of elemental phosphorus. See also phosphorus[2].
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