nightside

noun

night·​side ˈnīt-ˌsīd How to pronounce nightside (audio)
: the side of a celestial body (such as the earth, the moon, or a planet) not in daylight

Examples of nightside 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.
The light data also revealed something striking about the gas giant’s atmospheric conditions—a total lack of methane, which astronomers previously hypothesized may be detectable, at least on the nightside. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 May 2024 The bright purple color depicts auroras on Mars’ nightside that were detected by the ultraviolet instrument aboard NASA’s MAVEN orbiter between May 14 and 20. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 14 June 2024 And while the nightside is a balmier 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, that’s still only about 120 degrees short of the melting point for aluminum. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 May 2024 Juno’s orbits will move closer to Jupiter in the coming months as the spacecraft passes over the giant planet’s nightside, NASA said. Bradford Betz, Fox News, 18 June 2023 See all Example Sentences for nightside 

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nightside was in 1848

Dictionary Entries Near nightside

Cite this Entry

“Nightside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nightside. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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