si·de·re·al
adj. Of, relating to, or concerned with the stars or constellations; stellar.
wid·der·shins
adv. In a contrary or counterclockwise direction.
pre·ter·nat·u·ral
adj. Beyond or different from what is natural, or according to the regular course of things, but not clearly supernatural or miraculous; therefore, something which is strange, inexplicable, extraordinary, uncommon, irregular or abnormal.
vil·la·nelle
n. A 19-line poem of fixed form consisting of five tercets and a final quatrain on two rhymes, with the first and third lines of the first tercet repeated alternately as a refrain closing the succeeding stanzas and joined as the final couplet of the quatrain.
[French, from Italian villanella, from feminine of villanello, rustic, from villano, peasant, from Vulgar Latin *vllnus, from Latin vlla, country house.]
noc·ti·lu·cent
adj. Luminous at night. Used especially of certain high clouds.
par·aph
n. A flourish added after or under your signature (originally to protect against forgery).
se·rein
n. (Meteorol.) A mist, or very fine rain, which sometimes falls from a clear sky a few moments after sunset.
lu·cu·lent
adj. Transparently clear; easily understandable; clear or lucid.
[Middle English, shiny, from Latin luculentus, from lux, luc-, light.]
o·le·an·der
n. A poisonous Eurasian evergreen shrub (Nerium oleander) having fragrant white, rose, or purple flowers, whorled leaves, and long follicles containing numerous comose seeds. Also called rosebay.
al·be·do
n., pl. -dos.
- The fraction of incident electromagnetic radiation reflected by a surface, especially of a celestial body.
- The spongy white tissue on the inside of the rind of citrus fruit.
[Late Latin albedo, whiteness, from Latin albus, white.]
As Vangelis could tell you, the Earth’s albedo is (or was) 0.39—how brightly we shine in the universe.