noun
apogee
AP-uh-jee/ˈæpədʒiː/
The point of an Earth orbit most distant from Earth.
The satellite is at apogee, at the farthest point of its orbit from Earth.
Etymology
“Away from earth” names the point where the moon is farthest from Earth. That astronomical extreme became a metaphor for a culmination—the highest or most successful stage of something.
In context
the Eastern Empire would survive, reaching another apogee around the year 1,000 before entering a slow decline until its final end in 1453.
More examples
- Controllers adjust the craft's path near apogee.
- The satellite reaches apogee once during each orbit around Earth.
- The chart compares the apogees of several Earth satellites.
Forms
apogee · apogees
Similar words
- apoapsis
- The farthest orbital point around any central body.
- zenith
- A highest point rather than the farthest point in orbit.