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French Astronomy Vocabulary: 70+ Words and Phrases

Modified on December 19, 2025 Vibha Goyal
Planets and Stars in French

Astronomy captivates us with its vast mysteries and stunning beauty. Learning related vocabulary in French enhances understanding and communication for students, astronomy enthusiasts, and travellers. Mastering these terms opens doors to richer conversations, deeper insights, and more enjoyable experiences within the world of stars and planets.

Key Takeaways

  • Learn all Basics such as l’étoile (star), la planète (planet), la galaxie (galaxy), & l’univers (universe) to get you chatting cosmos quickly.
  • Learn about the Planets, which are mostly the same, such as Mercure, Vénus, la Terre, up to Neptune and dwarfs as Pluton.
  • Know about Cool stuff such as la comète (comet), l’astéroïde (asteroid), le trou noir (black hole), l’éclipse solaire (solar eclipse).
  • Know deeply about Constellations such as La Grande Ourse (Big Dipper), Orion, La Voie Lactée (Milky Way), Cassiopée.
  • You can learn Space talk words such as l’astronaute (astronaut), la fusée (rocket), le télescope (telescope), plus phrases such as J’adore observer les étoiles (I love stargazing).

Basic Astronomy Terms in French

Here are some basic astronomy terms in French and their English translations: 

French TermEnglish Translation
L’étoile Star
La planète Planet
La galaxie Galaxy
L’univers Universe
L’astéroïde Asteroid
La comète Comet
La lune Moon
Le soleil Sun
La constellation Constellation
La nébuleuse Nebula
Le télescope Telescope
Le satellite Satellite
Le quasar Quasar
L’espace Space
L’exoplanète Exoplanet

Expand your French vocabulary with essential environment and ecology terms to discuss sustainability, climate change, and nature effortlessly in conversations.

Planets in French

Here are the names of the planets in French, listed in order from the Sun: 

French TermEnglish Translation
Mercure Mercury
Vénus Venus
la Terre Earth
Mars Mars
Jupiter Jupiter
Saturne Saturn
Uranus Uranus
Neptune Neptune
Pluton Pluto
Éris Eris
Hauméa Haumea
Makémaké Makemake

Stars and Constellations

Here is some French vocabulary related to stars and constellations:

French TermEnglish Translation
L’étoile Star
La constellation Constellation
L’étoile Polaire North Star
La Voie Lactée Milky Way
La nébuleuse Nebula
Orion Orion (Constellation)
La Grande Ourse Ursa Major (Constellation)
La Petite Ourse Ursa Minor (Constellation)
Cassiopée Cassiopeia (Constellation)
Andromède Andromeda (Constellation)
Le Scorpion Scorpius (Constellation)
Bételgeuse Betelgeuse (Star)
Sirius Sirius (Star)
Pollux Pollux (Star)

Enhance your language skills by learning essential French geography vocabulary related to landscapes, mountains, rivers, and more in this guide: French geography vocabulary.

Celestial Bodies and Phenomena

Here is some French vocabulary for various celestial bodies and phenomena: 

French TermEnglish Translation
La comète Comet
L’astéroïde Asteroid
Le trou noir Black Hole
L’éclipse Eclipse
L’éclipse solaire Solar Eclipse
L’éclipse lunaire Lunar Eclipse
La pluie de météores Meteor Shower
La nova Nova
La supernova Supernova
L’amas d’étoiles Star Cluster
La poussière cosmique Cosmic Dust
La galaxie Galaxy
L’exoplanète Exoplanet
Le trou de ver Wormhole

Common Constellation Names in French

Here are some common constellation names in French: 

French TermEnglish Translation
La Grande Ourse Ursa Major
La Petite Ourse Ursa Minor
Orion Orion
Cassiopée Cassiopeia
Andromède Andromeda
Le Scorpion Scorpius
Le Bouvier Boötes
Céphée Cepheus
Le Lion Leo
Le Cancer Cancer
Pégase Pegasus
La Lyre Lyra
Les Poissons Pisces
Hercule Hercules
La Croix du Sud Crux

Stop Guessing, Start Speaking!

With our expert tutors, you’ll master the words you need to speak French confidently!

Space Exploration Vocabulary

Here is some French vocabulary related to space exploration: 

French TermEnglish Translation
Le vaisseau spatial Spacecraft
L’astronaute Astronaut
La mission spatiale Space Mission
La fusée Rocket
Le satellite Satellite
La station spatiale Space Station
Le lancement Launch
Le module Module
Le cosmos Cosmos
La Terre Earth
Apollo Apollo (Famous Mission)
Voyager Voyager (Famous Mission)
Curiosity Curiosity (Rover)
Spoutnik Sputnik (Famous Satellite)
Hubble Hubble (Telescope)

Useful Phrases for Astronomy Enthusiasts

Here are some useful phrases for discussing astronomy in French:

  1. Quel est ton planète préféré ? (What is your favourite planet?)
  2. As-tu déjà vu la Voie Lactée ? (Have you ever seen the Milky Way?)
  3. Quels constellations reconnais-tu ? (Which constellations do you recognise?)
  4. J’adore observer les étoiles. (I love stargazing.)
  5. Où se trouve la constellation d’Orion ? (Where is the Orion constellation?)
  6. Quels sont les principaux termes astronomiques ? (What are the main astronomical terms?)
  7. As-tu déjà assisté à une éclipse solaire ? (Have you ever witnessed a solar eclipse?)
  8. Quelle est ta nébuleuse préférée ? (What is your favourite nebula?)
  9. Quand est le prochain événement astronomique ? (When is the next astronomical event?)
  10. Je suis membre d’un club d’astronomie. (I am a member of an astronomy club.)
  11. Quels télescopes recommandes-tu ? (Which telescopes do you recommend?)
  12. As-tu des photos de tes observations ? (Do you have photos of your observations?)
  13. Quels sont les meilleurs endroits pour observer les étoiles ? (What are the best places to stargaze?)
  14. Y a-t-il des réunions d’astronomie ce mois-ci ? (Are there any astronomy meetings this month?)
  15. Je trouve les trous noirs fascinants. (I find black holes fascinating.)

Understanding French weather vocabulary is essential for daily conversations. Learn French weather terms with useful idioms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What do the French call twilight?

Ans: In French, twilight is referred to as “crépuscule.” This term describes the period of soft light before sunrise and after sunset.

Q2. How do you write sky in French?

Ans: The word for “sky” in French is “ciel.” This term is used to describe the expanse above us where clouds and celestial bodies appear.

Vibha Goyal

Vibha is a skilled French trainer specializing in preparing students for DELF, TEF, and TCF exams. With FLE certification and a C1 level of proficiency in French, she is committed to helping learners build confidence and reach fluency in the language. Vibha has successfully guided many students through rigorous exam preparation. For her, French is not just a language but a way of life. Her lessons blend real-world usage with cultural insights, making the learning process both effective and enjoyable. Dedicated to her students' success, Vibha strives to ensure they not only pass their exams but also thrive in French-speaking environments.

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