| Revision as of 00:49, 4 August 2004 editMichael Hardy (talk | contribs)Administrators210,293 edits It is not sysygies themselves that are usually used that way; it is the WORD "syzygy".← Previous edit | Revision as of 22:25, 17 August 2004 edit undoTom Peters (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users2,143 edits TP: repaired style error; conjunction and opposition of SUn and Moon are called syzygy as wellNext edit → | ||
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| In ], a '''syzygy''' is a situation where three bodies are situated along a straight line. The word is usually used in context with the ], ], and the ] or a ], where the latter is in ] or ]. |
In ], a '''syzygy''' (Greek: "yoked together") is a situation where three bodies are situated along a straight line. The word is usually used in context with the ], ], and the ] or a ], where the latter is in ] or ]. ] and ] ]s are examples of syzygies, but the term is also applied to each instance of ] or ] when Sun and Moon are in conjunction or opposition even though they are not exactly on one line with the Earth. | ||
| The word is also often loosely used to describe interesting configurations of planets in general. For example, situations when all the planets are on the same side of the sun are sometimes called syzygies, although they are not necessarily found along a straight line. | The word is also often loosely used to describe interesting configurations of planets in general. For example, situations when all the planets are on the same side of the sun are sometimes called syzygies, although they are not necessarily found along a straight line. | ||
Revision as of 22:25, 17 August 2004
In astronomy, a syzygy (Greek: "yoked together") is a situation where three bodies are situated along a straight line. The word is usually used in context with the Sun, Earth, and the Moon or a planet, where the latter is in conjunction or opposition. Solar and lunar eclipses are examples of syzygies, but the term is also applied to each instance of new moon or full moon when Sun and Moon are in conjunction or opposition even though they are not exactly on one line with the Earth.
The word is also often loosely used to describe interesting configurations of planets in general. For example, situations when all the planets are on the same side of the sun are sometimes called syzygies, although they are not necessarily found along a straight line.
In psychology, Carl Gustav Jung used the term syzygy to denote an archetypal pairing of contrasexual opposites, which symbolized the communication of the conscious and unconscious minds.
In mathematics, a syzygy in module theory is a kind of second-order relation; given a presentation of a module, a syzygy appears as a relation that holds, between the given relations. There are also, possibly, higher syzygies. See Hilbert's syzygy theorem.