Space and Solar Definitions - N

N - Newton, a unit of force equal to the force required to accelerate a 1-kg mass 1 m per second per second (1m/sec2). Compare with dyne.

Nadir - The direction from a spacecraft directly down toward the center of a planet. Opposite the zenith.

Nanotesla (Nt) - A unit of magnetism 10.0e-09 tesla, equivalent to a gamma (10.0e-05 gauss).s

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

NE - Near Encounter phase in flyby mission operations.

Neptune - Eighth planet from the sun, a gas giant or Jovian planet.

Neutral Line - The line that separates longitudinal magnetic fields of oppo- site polarity.

NiCad - Nickel-cadmium rechargeable battery.

NIMS - Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer onboard the Galileo spacecraft.

NIST - National Institute of Standards.

nm - Nanometer (10-9 m).

NMC - Network Monitor and Control subsystem in DSN.

NOCC - DSN Network Operations Control Center at JPL.

Nodes - Points where an orbit crosses a plane.

Non-coherent - Communications mode wherein a spacecraft generates its downlink frequency independent of any uplink frequency.

NRZ - Non-return to zero. Modulation scheme in which a phase deviation is held for a period of time in order to represent a data symbol.

Nucleus - The central body of a comet.

Nutation - A small nodding motion in a rotating body. Earth's nutation has a period of 18.6 years and an amplitude of 9.2 arc seconds

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