As the human mind and human senses reach ever-farther out into space, we keep encountering new things that require new objects that require new names. Some of these have ancient origins; some (like "black hole") have effectively crossed over into modern pop culture. But even those of us who, like myself, use them all the time rarely stop to think about where the terms come from.
An interacting pair of galaxies, called Arp 273. Until a century ago such objects were called nebulas (Latin for "fog" or "mist"). Credit: NASA/ESA/Hubble. Today I'm taking a step back, looking at the people and stories behind the cosmic buzzwords. For those of you who enjoy reading about the universe--or those of you who are encountering the buzzwords through the popular Cosmos television show--this is a chance to join me in a walk through the history of science. Astronomy. Let's start all the way ...
