Looking for an English term equivalent to "astre" in French or "hoshi" in Japanese

[Peptron]

In the asteroid impact simulation, the Japanese naration refers to the Earth as "hoshi", which is actually correct since "hoshi" has the same meaning as "astre" in French. The problem is that I don't think there is an equivalent term in English, despite being a somewhat vital astronomy term.

People tend to translate "astre" and "hoshi" by "star" in English, which is not exactly correct. "Astre" and "hoshi" are generic tems that can mean star, planet, meteor, asteroid, comet, satellite, or pretty much any single object in the sky. That term is also very often used to mean the Earth itself.

So is there an equivalent term to the French "astre" or Japanese "hoshi" in English? Other than "definition" sounding terms that nobody really use in common situations like "stellar object" or things like that?

[ToSeek]

No. You'd have to say something like "space object" or "astronomical object." Does seem like a nice term to have, though.

[01101001]

Body?

Before it got changed and redirecting, Wikipedia: Body (Physics) said (found by Google "define: body"):

In physics, a body in any object in the Universe. This includeds planets, stars, moons, etc.

One of the meanings of body, dictionary.com:

A mass of matter that is distinct from other masses: a body of water; a celestial body.

[pumpkinpie]

I'd translate them to "celestial body" also; (eta: I thought of that before I read the above post.) It's a shame we don't have a single word for it. How about "Celes"?

[ciderman]

Well if its useful just adopt it, as is the origin of many current english words. I'd go for "astre" or "celes" because they are similar to existing words & seem to have to the same latin origins (although english speakers have had little problem adopting Karaoke).

[Peptron]

It came to me that the compound form of "astre" (astro-) is quite often used in English, even if "astre" itself isn't. I know it comes from greek "astron", which many English dictionaries translate as "star", despite not being quite it.

So it seems there is no single word for it, or words that doesn't have the connotations of it. Like even "body" sounds too much "definition"-like to me, and terms like "hot body" and "body that shows signs of age" doesn't quite make me think about a celestial body.

Also, there is a notion of "light in the sky" in the words "astre", where the Moon and the Earth are just other "light in the sky" seen from closer.

[ciderman]

Ah, greek derivation not latin, thanks Peptron I wasn't certain & was hoping that someone here would!

[galacsi]

Je traduirais "ASTRE" par "Celestial body" . I agree with Pumpkinpie .

[Jens]

私も、「星」を「celestial body」に訳すのほうがいいと思う。

Sorry for the funny marks for those with linguistically impaired browsers.

[wollery]

The Chinese word for star, tian, can also mean day, sky, and heaven!