rotation axis

American

noun

Crystallography.

an imaginary line through a crystal about which the crystal may be rotated a specified number of degrees and be brought back to its original position.

Etymology

Origin of rotation axis

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"It's tilted and offset from the planet's rotation axis, which means its auroras sweep across the surface in complex ways. Webb has now shown us how deeply those effects reach into the atmosphere. By revealing Uranus's vertical structure in such detail, Webb is helping us understand the energy balance of the ice giants. This is a crucial step towards characterizing giant planets beyond our Solar System."

From Science Daily

Their analysis showed that the star's rotation axis and the planet's orbital axis differ by roughly 62°, meaning TOI-3884 hosts a significantly tilted planetary orbit.

From Science Daily

Former endeavors had been limited to two-dimensional approaches that assumed the symmetry about the Sun's rotation axis.

From Science Daily

"Measuring the location of the rotation axis very precisely is really important to the GPS system and so to everyone who uses it, either with a cell phone, flying in an aircraft, etc."

From Salon

"Most are not aware that the rotation axis wobbles and has drifted from North Geographic pole in the last 123 years by 10-15 meters," Wilson told Salon.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023