apogee Astr.
(ˈæpəʊdʒiː)
[a. Fr. apogée (in Cotgr. 1611), f. L. apogæum, a. Gr. ἀπόγαιον (also ἀπόγειον), adj. neut. ‘away from the earth,’ (f. ἀπό off, from + γά{giuml}ος, γεῖος of the earth, f. γαῖα, γῆ the earth), but used absol. by Ptolemy (sc. διάστηµα distance) in the modern astronomic sense. Formerly used in Gr. or L. form apogeon, -gæum, -geum.]
1. The point in the orbit of the moon, or of any planet, at which it is at its greatest distance from the earth; also, the greatest distance of the sun from the earth when the latter is in aphelion. (A term of the Ptolemaic Astronomy, which viewed the earth as the centre of the universe; in modern astronomy strictly used in reference to the moon, and popularly said of the sun in reference to its apparent motion.)
| 1594 J. Davis Seamans Secr., Her Slowe Motion is in the point of Auge or apogeo. 1656 tr. Hobbes' Elem. Philos. (1839) 443 The apogæum of the sun or the aphelium of the earth. 1727–51 Chambers Cycl., Apogee is a point in the heavens at the extreme of the line of the apsides. 1812 Woodhouse Astron. xix. 206 Apogee, if the Sun be supposed to revolve, Aphelion, if the Earth. 1868 Lockyer Heavens (ed. 3) 130 The greatest distance of the Moon from the Earth is about 643/4 the equatorial radius of our globe. When the Moon is at this distance, it is said to be in apogee. |
† 2. The greatest altitude reached by the sun in his apparent course; his meridional altitude on the longest day. Obs.
| 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. (1640) 146 The Apogée or middle point; and Perigée or lowest point of heaven. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. vi. v. (1686) 242 In the Apogeum or highest point it is not so hot under that Tropick. |
3. Hence fig. a. The most distant or remote spot. b. The highest point, climax, culmination.
| 1600 Fairfax Tasso ii. lxvii. 33 Thy Sunne is in his Apogæon placed, And when it moueth next, must needes descend. 1642 H. More Song of Soul ii. iii. ii. xii, She [the Soul] doth ascend, Unto her circles ancient Apogie. 1670 Eachard Contempt Clergy 54 Sometimes he withdraws himself into the apogæum of doubt, sorrow, and despair. 1858 Motley Dutch Rep. vi. Introd. 33 The trade of the Netherlands..had however by no means reached its apogee. |
4. The point in the trajectory of a missile, rocket, or the like at which it is at its greatest distance from the earth.
| 1958 in Aero-Space Terms. 1961 Flight LXXX. 756/1 When the satellite reaches the 22,300 mile apogee of the trajectory..the solid-propellant apogee motor will be used to inject the satellite into a circular, near-synchronous orbit. 1962 J. Glenn in Into Orbit 6 The apogee or highest point of the capsule's orbit was over eight times that altitude. |