spiral arm

English

Noun

spiral arm (plural spiral arms)

1. (astronomy) A section of a spiral galaxy that coils out from the centre.
   • 1979, Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:

     Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun.

   • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Mass Relays Codex entry:

     Primary mass relays can propel ships thousands of light years, often from one spiral arm of the galaxy to another.

Translations

section of a spiral galaxy

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 旋臂 (zh) (xuánbì)

• Finnish: kierteishaara
• French: please add this translation if you can