tangential motion
noun Astronomy.
the component of the linear motion of a star with respect to the sun, measured along a line perpendicular to its line of sight and expressed in miles or kilometers per second.
Also called
tangential velocity.
Compare
proper motion,
radial motion.
Origin of tangential motion
First recorded in 1760–70
Words nearby tangential motion
tangent,
tangent galvanometer,
tangent line,
tangent plane,
tangential,
tangential motion,
tangentiality,
tangerine,
tangi,
tangible,
tangier