Definition

1. Noun:
   • Fixed star: In astronomy, "hằng tinh" refers to a star that appears to maintain a fixed position relative to other stars in the night sky, as opposed to planets ("hành tinh") which move. This is an archaic or literary term in modern Vietnamese.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Các nhà thiên văn học cổ đại phân biệt hằng tinh với hành tinh. (Ancient astronomers distinguished fixed stars from planets.)
  • Trên bầu trời, những ngôi sao được gọi là hằng tinh dường như không di chuyển so với nhau. (In the sky, stars called fixed stars appear not to move relative to each other.)

Advanced Usage

• "hằng tinh" vs. "định tinh": Both are archaic terms for "fixed star." "Hằng tinh" emphasizes constancy ("hằng" meaning constant, perpetual), while "định tinh" emphasizes fixed position ("định" meaning fixed, stationary). They are largely synonymous in historical astronomical contexts.
  • Trong sách cổ, sao Bắc Đẩu được mô tả là một hằng tinh/định tinh quan trọng. (In ancient texts, the North Star was described as an important fixed star.)

Variants and Related Words

• Định tinh (n): Fixed star (a synonym, also archaic).
• Hành tinh (n): Planet (a contrasting term; "hành" means to move).
• Tinh tú (n): Stars, celestial bodies (a general, more poetic term).
• Ngôi sao (n): Star (the common, modern word).

Synonyms

• Fixed star: (Direct translation, the precise scientific term).
• Immutable star: (A literal, descriptive synonym emphasizing unchanging nature).

Related Phrases

• Bầu trời hằng tinh: The firmament of fixed stars (a poetic or historical phrase).
  • Nhà thơ ngắm nhìn bầu trời hằng tinh. (The poet gazed at the firmament of fixed stars.)

Related Idioms

• Vững như hằng tinh: (As) steadfast as a fixed star. This idiom describes something or someone extremely stable and unchanging.
  • Lòng trung thành của ông ấy vững như hằng tinh. (His loyalty is as steadfast as a fixed star.)

1. Fixed star