areography

/ ˌɛərɪˈɒɡrəfɪ /

noun

1. the description of the physical features, such as the surface, atmosphere, etc, of the planet Mars

Word History and Origins

Origin of areography¹

C19: from Greek Areos Mars + -graphy

Example Sentences

Areography, ā-re-ō′gra-fi, n. description of the physical features of the planet Mars.

From Project Gutenberg

In 1659, Huyghens laid the foundation stone of areography by observing some dark spots, and determining from their apparent movements that the planet had a rotation on its axis, which it accomplished in about the same time as the Earth.

From Project Gutenberg

Gradually, as telescopes improved and observers increased in number, the principal features of the planet were disclosed and charted, and ``areography,'' as the geography of Mars was called, took its place among the recognized branches of astronomical study.

From Project Gutenberg

But it was not before 1877 that a fundamentally new discovery in areography gave a truly sensational turn to speculation about life on ``the red planet.''

From Project Gutenberg