celestial 復習

27日の中秋の名月に引き続き、昨日の28日はスーパームーンということで世間は賑わいました。世界各地で観測されたスーパームーンですが、場所によっては皆既月食と重なる数十年に一度の貴重な現象が見られたようです。

What Causes a Super Blood Moon?
A rare astronomical phenomenon Sunday night will produce a moon that will appear slightly bigger than usual and have a reddish hue, an event known as a super blood moon.
It’s a combination of curiosities that hasn’t happened since 1982, and won’t happen again until 2033. A so-called supermoon, which occurs when the moon is closest to earth in its orbit, will coincide with a lunar eclipse, leaving the moon in Earth’s shadow. Individually, the two phenomena are not uncommon, but they do not align often.
Most people are unlikely to detect the larger size of the supermoon. It may appear 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter, but the difference is subtle to the plain eye. But the reddish tint from the lunar eclipse is likely to be visible throughout much of North America, especially on the East Coast.
“You’re basically seeing all of the sunrises and sunsets across the world, all at once, being reflected off the surface of the moon,” said Dr. Sarah Noble, a program scientist at NASA.
Stargazers are excited. Though the celestial show will be visible by simply looking toward the sky, the Intrepid Museum in New York will host a free viewing from its perch at Pier 86 on the Hudson River with astronomers and high-powered telescopes on hand. The Amateur Astronomers Association of New York will be holding several free events in the city, including at the High Line, offering telescopes and binoculars for better views.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/26/science/super-blood-moon-to-make-last-appearance-until-2033.html?_r=0
今回取り上げる表現は”celestial”　です。G4（大修館書店）では「天（体）の、空の」とあります。LDOCEでは “relating to the sky or heaven ”と書かれており、どうやらラテン語の “caelestis”　「天の、神聖な」が語源のようです。文中では “the celestial show”とありますが、そのまま「天体」といえます。

他の意味としては「天上界の、神聖な；《文》〈音楽などが〉非常に美しい[よい]」などがあります。 “a celestial beauty”　で「絶世の美女」が例として挙げられます。（Inaho）