Perigalactic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the area that surrounds a galaxy, describing the spatial region encompassing the boundaries of a galaxy, and relating to the environment adjacent to a galaxy are all included in this term's meaning
2. This term relates to the zone surrounding a galaxy, emphasizes the region framing the outer parts of a galaxy, and refers to the space that is adjacent to a galaxy's edge
3. Referring to the space immediately surrounding a galaxy and its outskirts

Etymology: "Perigalactic" is built from the Greek prefix "peri-", meaning "around" or "near," attached to "galactic," the adjective from "galaxy." The result is a plainly descriptive technical term: it picks out the region just beyond a galaxy's visible disc and its outer fringes, where gas, dust and stray stars drift at the edges of the galactic system. Galaxy itself comes from Greek "galaxias," meaning "milky," from "gala," milk, a reference to the Milky Way band of light across the night sky. Adding "peri-" to the galactic adjective therefore names the space around the galaxy in the same spirit that "perihelion" names the point nearest the sun, with "peri-" meaning close around a body.