nightside

noun

night·​side ˈnīt-ˌsīd How to pronounce nightside (audio)
: the side of a celestial body (such as the earth, the moon, or a planet) not in daylight

Examples of nightside in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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During the flyby, BepiColombo, which was launched on Oct. 20, 2018, came to within around 185 miles (295 kilometers) of Mercury's nightside, facing away from the sun. Robert Lea, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025 The light data also revealed something striking about the gas giant’s atmospheric conditions—a total lack of methane, which astronomers previously hypothesized may be detectable, at least on the nightside. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 May 2024 The bright purple color depicts auroras on Mars’ nightside that were detected by the ultraviolet instrument aboard NASA’s MAVEN orbiter between May 14 and 20. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 14 June 2024 And while the nightside is a balmier 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, that’s still only about 120 degrees short of the melting point for aluminum. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for nightside 

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nightside was in 1848

Dictionary Entries Near nightside

Cite this Entry

“Nightside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nightside. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

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