- nebula
- A diffuse mass of interstellar dust and gas.
neutrino
- A fundamental particle supposedly produced in massive numbers by the
nuclear reactions in stars; they are very hard to detect because the vast
majority of them pass completely through the Earth without interacting.
nuclear fusion
- A nuclear process whereby several small nuclei are combined to
make a larger one whose mass is slightly smaller than the sum of the small
ones. The difference in mass is converted to energy by
Einstein's famous
equivalence E=mc2. This is the source of the Sun's
energy and, ultimately, of (almost) all energy on Earth.
Newton, Isaac 1642-1727
- English mathematician and physicist. Newton invented calculus, discovered the classical laws of motion and gravity, built the first reflecting telescope, and demonstrated the compound nature of white light, in the process laying the foundations of spectroscopy.
Nicholson, Seth Barnes 1891-1963
- American astronomer. Nicholson discovered Lysithea, Ananke, Carme and Sinope. He also did important work on sunspots.
