| Caelum | The constellation "The Chisel" | |
| Caliban | A moon of Uranus was discovered by Brett J. Gladman, Philip D. Nicholson, Joseph A. Burns, and John J. Kavelaars using the 200-inch Hale telescope on September 6, 1997. Caliban is also designated as "Uranus XVI" and "S/1997 U1". Caliban is the monster character from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest. | |
| Callirrhoe | A moon of Jupiter was discovered by Spacewatch on October 6, 1999. At that time is was thought ot be an asteroid until it was discovered to be in orbit around Jupiter by Tim Spahr on July 18, 2000. Callirrhoe is also designated as "Jupiter XVII" and "S/1999 J1". In Greek mythology, Callirrhoe was a naiad. She was the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. | |
| Callisto | A moon of Jupiter was discovered by Galileo Galilei on January 7, 1610. Callisto is also designated as "Jupiter IV". In Greek mythology, Callisto was nymph and one of the many lovers of Zeus, only to be turned into a bear by Zeus' wife Hera. | |
| Calypso | A moon of Saturn was discovered by Brad Smith, Harold Reitsema, Steven Larson and John Fountain on March 13, 1980. Calypso also is designated as "Saturn XIV" and "S/1980 S25". In Greek mythology, Calypso was a sea nymph who delayed Odysseus on her island of Ogygia for seven years. | |
| Camelopardalis | The constellation "The Giraffe" | |
| Camera Adapter | A telescope accessory that receives a T-Ring Adapter for attaching a Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera to a telescope. Also called T-Adapter. | |
| Camera Adapter Ring | See T-Ring Adapter. | |
| Cancer | Cancer (The Crab) is a zodiacal constellation, that is, it lies across the ecliptic, an imaginary line across the sky that the Sun, Moon and all the planets except Pluto seem to move along. The Beehive Star Cluster (M44) can be found in Cancer. | |
| Canes Venatici | The constellation "The Hunting Dog" | |
| Canis Major | The constellation "The Big Dog" | |
| Canis Minor | The constellation "The Little Dog" | |
| Capricornus | Capricornus (The Sea Goat) is a zodiacal constellation, that is, it lies across the ecliptic, an imaginary line across the sky that the Sun, Moon and all the planets except Pluto seem to move along. The constellation is often depicted as a sea-goat, a goat with a fish's tail. | |
| Carina | The constellation "The Keel" | |
| Carme | A moon of Jupiter was discovered by Seth Nicholson at Mount Wilson Observatory in July 1938. Carme is also designated as "Jupiter XI". In Greek mythology, Carme was a Cretan spirit who assisted the grain harvest. | |
| Carpo | A moon of Jupiter was discovered by Scott S. Sheppard and team in 2003. Carpo is also designated as "Jupiter XLVI" and "S/2003 J20". In Greek mythology, Carpo was a Horae, and a daughter of Zeus (Jupiter). | |
| Cassegrain Telescope | In its classical form, a compound reflecting telescope employing a parabolic concave primary mirror and a small hyperbolic convex secondary mirror to form images. Variations of the Cassegrain design include the Maksutov-Cassegrain and the Schmidt-Cassegrain. | |
| Cassiopeia | The constellation "The Queen" | |
| Catadioptric Telescope | A physically-compact, long-focus telescope employing a combination of mirrors and lenses to fold the light path and form an image, as in a Maksutov-Cassegrain or Schmidt-Cassegrain. | |
| Catadioptrics | An optical system that uses a combination of refractor and reflector lenses to produce a large aperture, compact optical system. | |
| CCD | Stands for 'Charge Coupled Device'. CCD chips are the detectors used in digital cameras. | |
| Celestial | Having to do with the heavens, the sky. | |
| Celestial Equator | A line around the celestial sphere which divides its northern and southern hemispheres. | |
| Celestial Poles | Two points (north and south) in the celestial sphere which the sky seems to rotate around. | |
| Celestial Sphere | An observationally practical model of the sky as a sphere with fixed stars that rotates around the Earth. | |
| Cell | A cell is a part of a telescope system which mounts a lens or mirror to the telescope. | |
| Centaurus | The constellation "The Centaur" | |
| Central Obstruction | In Newtonian and Catadioptric telescopes, the obstruction caused by the secondary mirror. | |
| Cepheus | The constellation "The King" | |
| Cetus | Cetus (The Sea Monster) while not a zodiacal Constellation is close enough to the Ecliptic than planets will pass through it. Inside of Cetus you can find the spiral galaxy M77. According to mythology, Cetus was sent by Neptune to attack the shores of the kingdom of Cassiopeia and Cepheus. They chained their daughter Andromeda was to a cliff as an offering to Cetus as appeasement but was rescued by Perseus, who used the Gordon's head to turn Cetus to stone. | |
| Chaldene | A moon of Jupiter was discovered by Scott S. Sheppard and team in 2000. Chaldene is also designated as "Jupiter XXI" and "S/2000 J10". In Greek mythology, Chaldene, the mother of Solymos by Zeus. | |
| Chamaeleon | The constellation "The Chameleon" | |
| Charge Coupled Device (CCD) | A type of solid-state silicon wafer designed to detect light. | |
| Charon | A moon of the planet Pluto, also known as Pluto I. Charon is the largest of Pluto's Moons and was discovered in 1978 by James Christy. In Greek mythology Charon was the Ferryman who ferried souls to Pluto's underworld of the dead. | |
| Chromatic Aberration | An optical problem cause by light going through a refractor lens and not all the light frequencies coming to focus at the same point. Usually it is apparent at high magnifications as rainbow edges on objects. An apochromatic lens system is design to solve chromatic aberration. | |
| Chromosphere | The atmosphere of the Sun between the Photosphere and the Corona. | |
| Circinus | The constellation "The Drawing Compass" | |
| Classical Cassegrain | The original Cassegrain telescope design consisting of a parabolic concave primary mirror and a small hyperbolic convex secondary mirror. | |
| Clock Drive | A motor that drives the polar axis of an equatorial telescope mounting, enabling long-exposure photography and continuous viewing at high magnifications. | |
| Cold Moon | The name of the Full Moon usually in December Specifically the first Full Moon before Yule (December 22 by "The Maine Rule"). Sometimes called the "Long Night Moon" or the "Moon before Yule." | |
| Collimation | The proper alignment of the optical elements of a telescope. | |
| Color Aberration | See Chromatic Aberration. | |
| Columba | The constellation "The Dove" | |
| Coma | An asymmetrical off-axis aberration inherent in certain telescope designs. | |
| Coma Berenices | The constellation "Berenice's Hair" | |
| Comet | A small celestial object which orbits the sun in a long elliptical orbit. Comets are made up mostly of ice and dust. As comets approach the Sun in their orbit they develop a tail as gas and ice are blown off by the solar wind. | |
| Comparator | A machine used for looking for parallax motion, proper motion, asteroids, or variable stars by quickly alternating between viewing two photographic plates from two different times. | |
| Comparison Star | Star used to calibrate either the brightness or position of the unknown star. | |
| Computerized | Self-pointing capability in a "GOTO" telescope mount. | |
| Conjunction | An astronomical event where two celestial objects appear close to each other in the celestial sphere. | |
| Constellation | A grouping or pattern of stars in the celestial sphere, usually representing a mythical person, animal or other object. Astronomers define constellations as areas, so that all celestial objects are located in one constellation. | |
| Convection Currents | Warm air rising from a reflecting telescope's primary mirror, made turbulent by the open main tube. | |
| Cordelia | The innermost moon of Uranus was discovered by Richard J. Terrile (Voyager 2) on January 20, 1986. Cordelia is also designated as "Uranus VI" and "S/1986 U7". Cordelia is the youngest daughter of Lear in William Shakespeare's King Lear. | |
| Corn Moon | The name of the Full Moon usually in September, if the September Full Moon is not the Harvest Moon. Specifically the first Full Moon before the Autumnal Equinox (September 23 by "The Maine Rule"). Sometime known as the "Fruit Moon" or "Barley Moon." | |
| Corn Planting Moon | The name of the Full Moon usually in May. Specifically the second Full Moon after Ecclesiastical Vernal Equinox (March 21). Sometimes called the "Flower Moon" or the "Milk Moon." | |
| Corona | The tenuous outmost part of the solar atmosphere. | |
| Corona Australis | The constellation "The Southern Crown" | |
| Corona Borealis | The constellation "The Northern Crown" | |
| Corrector Plate | A donut-shaped refracting lens found is many catdioptric telescopes designs like a Schmidt-Cassegrain or a Maksutov-Cassegrain design. | |
| Corvus | The constellation "The Raven" | |
| Cosmology | The study of the formation, organization, and evolution of the universe. | |
| Crater | The constellation "The Cup" | |
Crescent Moon  Crescent Moon |
The shape of the lit portion of the moon or a planetary disk where the lit portion of the disk is less than half the disk surface. The terminator appear concave. | |
| Cressida | A moon of Uranus was discovered by Stephen P. Synnott (Voyager 2) on January 9, 1986. Cressida is also designated as "Uranus IX" and "S/1986 U3". Cressida is the Trojan daughter of Calchas, a tragic heroine from William Shakespeare's play Troilus and Cressida. | |
| Cross Hair Reticle | Cross hairs of a guiding eyepiece used in long-exposure astrophotography. | |
| Crow Moon | The name of the Full Moon usually in March. Specifically the Full Moon before Ecclesiastical Vernal Equinox (March 21). Sometimes known as the "Worm Moon," "Sap Moon" or the "Lenten Moon." | |
| Crux | The constellation "The Southern Cross | |
| Cupid | A moon of Uranus was discovered by Mark R. Showalter and Jack J. Lissauer using the Hubble Space Telescope on August 25, 2003. Cupid is also designated as "Uranus XXVII" and "S/2003 U2". Cupid is a character in William Shakespeare's play Timon of Athens. | |
| Cygnus | The constellation "The Swan" | |
| Cyllene | A moon of Jupiter was discovered by Scott S. Sheppard and team in 2003. Cyllene is also designated as "Jupiter XLVIII" and "S/2003 J13". In Greek mythology, Cyllene was a nymph associated with Mount Kyllini, Greece. She was a daughter of Zeus (Jupiter). | |
| The "Stars and Scopes" Glossary was compiled by Peter Ue from various sources on the internet. I tried to correct and edit as much as possible, but I can make no claim or warrenty to the information here. If you find any errors just contact me and I'll try to fix it - Thanks , Peter. |
