coronagraph

noun

co·​ro·​na·​graph kə-ˈrō-nə-ˌgraf How to pronounce coronagraph (audio)
variants or less commonly coronograph
plural coronagraphs also coronographs
: a telescope for observation of a star's corona
The American spacecraft was to carry the solar coronagraph, the only instrument on the mission capable of imaging the sun's polar regions …M. Mitchell Waldrop
Using an instrument called a coronagraph, the astronomers can block a star's light, to catch the dim glow of dark matter that may surround it.Jonathan Weiner

Examples of coronagraph in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On 4 November, NASA plans to launch the Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX), an instrument that will create eclipses on demand with a Sun-blocking device called a coronagraph. Byhannah Richter, science.org, 31 Oct. 2024 In the days before the comet became visible above the horizon, it was lost in the sun's glare but not to LASCO, which imaged it very close to the sun using its coronagraph disk to occult the sun's disk. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 The first thing is a bit of hardware called a coronagraph attached to your telescope. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 24 July 2024 Telescopes on Earth and satellites can use a coronagraph, an instrument that blocks the sun’s disk while leaving much of its atmosphere visible. Aaron Shattuck, Scientific American, 25 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for coronagraph 

Word History

Etymology

corona + -graph

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of coronagraph was in 1884

Dictionary Entries Near coronagraph

Cite this Entry

“Coronagraph.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coronagraph. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on coronagraph

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!