Aviation Glossary

At Dauntless, our editorial staff maintains the web's largest unified glossary of aviation terms. This glossary is built from a combination of official, quasi-official, and proprietary sources (including original material that we develop oursselves). Uniquely, we often provide multiple definitions of a given term so that you can find that which best applies to you. In order to maximize your learning efficiency, this glossary (and similar ones for our international users) is incresingly fully integrated into our aviation learning apps, including our FAA written test prep and FAA practical test prep software and apps. If you like this glossary, you'll love them with their polished learning environments and world's best and clearest content (please do give them a try.).

Corona

A prismatically colored circle or arcs of a circle with the sun or moon at its center; coloration is from blue inside to red outside (opposite that of a halo); varies in size (much smaller) as opposed to the fixed diameter of the halo; characteristic of clouds composed of water droplets and valuable in differentiating between middle and cirriform clouds.

source: FAA Aviation Weather for Pilots (AC 00-6A)

The outermost layer of the solar atmosphere, characterized by low densities (< 1.0x10⁹/cc) and high temperatures (> 1.0x10⁶ K).
In solar-terrestrial terms, a white or colored circle or set of concentric circles of light of small radius seen around a luminous body, especially around the sun or moon. The color varies from blue inside to red outside and the phenomenon is attributed to diffraction of light by thin clouds or mist (distinguished from halo).

source: NOAA National Weather Service Glossary

Ace Any FAA Written Test!

	Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
	The best explanations in the business
	Fast, efficient study.

Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!

	FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
	Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
	Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.

The World's Most Trusted eLogbook

	Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
	Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
	Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.

Disclaimer: While this glossary in most cases is likely to be highly accurate and useful, sometimes, for any number of editorial, transcription, technical, and other reasons, it might not be. Additionally, as somtimes you may have found yourself brought to this page through an automated term matching system, you may find definitions here that do not match the cotext or application in which you saw the original term. Please use your good judgement when using this resource.