gegenschein

G2E1G2E1N1S1C3H4E1I1N1
/ˈɡeɪ.ɡənˌʃaɪn/

noun

A faint brightening of the night sky in the region of the ecliptic directly opposite the Sun.

Scrabble 18

Meanings

noungegenschein (countable and uncountable, plural gegenscheins)

plural gegenscheins · alternative Gegenschein

  1. countableuncountableastronomyA faint brightening of the night sky in the region of the ecliptic directly opposite the Sun.

    The zodiacal light, gegenschein, and zodiacal band … are all visible.

    2001 Feb, John E. Bortle, “Introducing the Bortle Dark-sky Scale”, in Sky and Telescope, volume 101, number 2, page 126
    1 more example

    My object in appearing before the Association, at this time, is to present the observations of several other persons on the gegenschein or completed arch of the zodiacal light, of which I have received accounts since our meeting in Motreal.

    1860, George Jones, “Recent Observations, by various persons, on the Gegenschein, or Completed Arch of the Zodiacal Light”, in Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Volume 13, Digitized edition, published 2007, page 172

    Synonyms: counterglow

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA faint brightening of the night sky in the region of the ecliptic directly opposite the Sun.

More synonyms by meaning

nouna faint spot of light in the night sky that appears directly opposite the position of the sun; a reflection of sunlight by micrometeoric material in space

Broader
lightvisible lightvisible radiation
Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. GermanGegenschein“counter-shine”
  2. Englishgegenschein

Borrowed from German Gegenschein (“counter-shine”), from gegen- + Schein.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese 对日照
  • 对日照 (duìrìzhào)Translations
Czech protisvit
  • protisvitTranslations
Danish gegenschein
  • gegenscheinTranslations
Finnish gegenschein
  • gegenscheinTranslations
French gegenschein, lueur anti-solaire
  • gegenscheinTranslations
  • lueur anti-solaireTranslations
Greek αντιζωδιακό φως
  • αντιζωδιακό φως (antizodiakó fos)Translations
Italian gegenschein
  • gegenscheinTranslations
Japanese 対日照
  • 対日照Translations
Korean 대일조
  • 대일조 (daeiljo)Translations
Polish przeciwblask
  • przeciwblaskTranslations
Portuguese gegenschein
  • gegenscheinTranslations
Russian противосияние
  • противосияние (protivosijanije)Translations
Spanish gegenschein
  • gegenscheinTranslations
Ukrainian протисяйво
  • протисяйво (protysjajvo)Translations
Cite this entry
APA

gegenschein. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gegenschein

MLA

“gegenschein.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gegenschein. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gegenschein,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gegenschein.

Source: gegenschein on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.