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With a declination of nearly +39°, it shines directly overhead for anyone living at latitude 39° north. However your say it, Vega is a white, brilliant, and radiant star. To brush up on star names, consult this star and constellation pronunciation guide or listen to this audio version. Ellie Arroway, receives a message from sentient beings on a planet around Vega, pronounced VAY-guh (ugh!) throughout the film. NASA PICTURE OF THE DAY PANORAMIC MOVIEWhile we're on the topic, in the 1997 movie Contact, Jodie Foster, as Dr. NASA PICTURE OF THE DAY PANORAMIC TVThe rise and fall of the Vega from happy TV commercials to infamy seared its name (and pronunciation) in the public memory. ![]() Named for the star and pronounced VAY-guh, the car was a big hit in the early 1970s until owners discovered it was prone to gas tank fires, rapid rusting, and melting engine parts. In fact, Vega is a common Spanish surname and means "meadow" or "fertile plain." But I also suspect the Chevrolet Vega had something to do with the whole business. In Spanish the "e" sound is pronounced "ay" not "ee." Think Las Vegas. First, the country has a sizable Spanish-speaking population. I have a hunch that the shift to VAY-guh, at least in the U.S., occurred for several reasons. Recognizing that language evolves, I tell newcomers to the hobby that either is correct. Nowadays, the online Merriam-Webster dictionary gives both pronunciations, while the American Heritage Dictionary lists VEE-guh. Yet somewhere along the way Vega became (mostly) VAY-guh, leaving me and my ilk in the minority. NASA PICTURE OF THE DAY PANORAMIC MANUALAs a budding amateur astronomer in 1966, I owned an Edmund planisphere that included an instruction manual with a pronunciation guide in line with AAS standards. Later, the W evolved into a V, but the pronunciation remained the same: VEE-guh. This made sense because for centuries it had been known as Wega and spoken as WE-guh, which means descending eagle in Arabic. They decided that Vega should be pronounced VEE-guh. Their final report, adopted by the AAS, appeared in Sky & Telescope for June 1943, page 12." McHugh to consult with astronomers, educators, Arabic scholars, and planetarium lecturers and come up with a list of preferred pronunciations for common star names and constellations. "In 1941 the American Astronomical Society (AAS) formed a committee of Samuel G. In July 2006, Sky & Telescope's Tony Flanders addressed the question: But how exactly do you say its name? Is it VEE-guh or VAY-guh? Vega, the fifth-brightest nighttime star, beams almost straight overhead early this month and may be the most important luminary in the sky after the Sun. The detailed composite image shows a Martian surface that appears similar to images captured by previous NASA rover missions.Brilliant Vega not only dominates Lyra, the Lyre, it also shines near the zenith from mid-northern latitudes in early September at nightfall. The camera system can reveal details as small as 0.1 to 0.2 inches (3 to 5 millimeters) across near the rover and 6.5 to 10 feet (2 to 3 meters) across in the distant slopes along the horizon. Stitched together from 142 images, the newly released panorama reveals the crater rim and cliff face of an ancient river delta in the distance. The cameras also will help the mission team determine which rocks the rover should sample and collect for eventual return to Earth in the future. The cameras will help scientists assess the geologic history and atmospheric conditions of Jezero Crater and will assist in identifying rocks and sediment worthy of a closer look by the rover's other instruments. With this capability, the robotic astrobiologist can provide a detailed examination of both close and distant objects. Mastcam-Z is a dual- camera system equipped with a zoom function, allowing the cameras to zoom in, focus, and take high-definition video, as well as panoramic color and 3-D images of the Martian surface. ![]()
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