barycenter

barycenter

(ba -ră-sen-ter) The center of mass of a system of bodies, e.g. the Earth–Moon system or Solar System. The barycenter of the Solar System is offset from the Sun's center due to the presence of the planets, especially Jupiter, and moves as the relative positions of the planets change. Barycentric coordinates are a more rigorous coordinate system than heliocentric coordinates, specifying positions with respect to the Solar-System barycenter rather than the Sun's center.

Collins Dictionary of Astronomy © Market House Books Ltd, 2006

barycenter

[′bar·ə‚sen·tər]

(astronomy)

The center of gravity of the earth-moon system.

(mathematics)

The center of mass of a system of finitely many equal point masses distributed in euclidean space in such a way that their position vectors are linearly independent.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.