'Heliacal' definitions:
Definition of 'heliacal'
From: WordNet
adjective
Pertaining to or near the sun; especially the first rising of a star after and last setting before its invisibility owing to its conjunction with the sun; "the heliacal rising of the Dog Star"; "the heliacal or Sothic year is determined by the heliacal rising of Sothis (the Egyptian name for the Dog Star)" [syn: heliacal, heliac]
Definition of 'Heliacal'
From: GCIDE
- Heliacal \He*li"a*cal\, a. [Gr. ? belonging to the sun, fr. ? the sun: cf. F. h['e]liaque.] (Astron.) Emerging from the light of the sun, or passing into it; rising or setting at the same, or nearly the same, time as the sun. --Sir T. Browne. [1913 Webster]
- Note: The heliacal rising of a star is when, after being in conjunction with the sun, and invisible, it emerges from the light so as to be visible in the morning before sunrising. On the contrary, the heliacal setting of a star is when the sun approaches conjunction so near as to render the star invisible. [1913 Webster]