celestial body
noun
variants
or less commonly celestial object
plural celestial bodies also celestial objects
: an aggregation of matter in the universe (such as a planet, star, or nebula) that can be considered as a single unit (as for astronomical study)
But many scientists began seriously rethinking their notions of the solar system in 1992, when we identified a small celestial body—just a few hundred kilometers across—sited farther from the sun than any of the known planets.—
Jane X. Luu et al.
Jane X. Luu et al.As the observer looks at a star or other celestial body its light rays pass through a single point on the earth's surface.—Dutton's Navigation and Piloting, 14th edition
Dutton's Navigation and Piloting, 14th editionA black hole forms when a star or other celestial object collapses under the pull of its own gravity.—Mary Durack Miller
Mary Durack Millercalled also heavenly body
Examples of celestial body in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
How to find Venus in the sky Observers won’t need any special equipment for viewing Venus, as the celestial body is the third brightest object in our sky after the sun and the moon.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
At that time, the celestial body will be passing the Earth’s darker inner shadow, or umbra.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
In a very basic distillation of their definitions, these terms refer to the positions created by two celestial bodies and the Earth: Opposition means the two bodies are on opposite sides of the Earth, while conjunction means that one body is between the Earth and another body.
—Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 19 Feb. 2025
Sky gazers in the path of the partial solar eclipse will likely see a crescent shape when looking at the sun as the moon passes between the star and Earth, in contrast to a total solar eclipse which aligns the three celestial bodies completely.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 22 Mar. 2025
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Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
At that time, the celestial body will be passing the Earth’s darker inner shadow, or umbra.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
In a very basic distillation of their definitions, these terms refer to the positions created by two celestial bodies and the Earth: Opposition means the two bodies are on opposite sides of the Earth, while conjunction means that one body is between the Earth and another body.
—Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 19 Feb. 2025
Sky gazers in the path of the partial solar eclipse will likely see a crescent shape when looking at the sun as the moon passes between the star and Earth, in contrast to a total solar eclipse which aligns the three celestial bodies completely.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for celestial body
Cite this Entry
“Celestial body.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/celestial%20body. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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