Lexell

American  

[lek-suhl] / ˈlɛk səl /

noun

1. Astronomy. a comet that passed closer to the earth than any other comet (1770), but now has an orbit that is too distant from the earth for it to be observed.

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Etymology

Origin of Lexell

First recorded in 2000–05; named after Anders Jean Lexell (1740–84), Finnish-born Russian mathematician, who calculated its orbit

Example Sentences

But like many of the more than 30 assistants interviewed for this article, Ms. Lexell said workers in her position had little or no leverage to negotiate.

From New York Times • Jan. 10, 2020

When the studio cut her hours the next season, Ms. Lexell and a colleague approached a showrunner for a raise.

From New York Times • Jan. 10, 2020

During the weeks when the show was not in production, Ms. Lexell said, she resorted to filing for unemployment.

From New York Times • Jan. 10, 2020

The showrunner said, “You guys are lucky to have these jobs,” Ms. Lexell remembered.

From New York Times • Jan. 10, 2020

Lexell was the first to suspect that this was a new planet eighteen times as far from the sun as the earth is.

From History of Astronomy by Forbes, George