PAL

Ptolemaeus Arabus et Latinus

_ (the underscore) is the placeholder for exactly one character.
% (the percent sign) is the placeholder for no, one or more than one character.
%% (two percent signs) is the placeholder for no, one or more than one character, but not for blank space (so that a search ends at word boundaries).

At the beginning and at the end, these placeholders are superfluous.

closer to the Earth‘closer to the Earth’

English

References: PH Hamm: I.10:5, 53:18; I.11:4, 56:5
Translation of:
Greek: περιγειότερος [Handy Tables: 182:2. – Harmony Düring: 3:10:10, 3:11:13,17. – PH Heiberg: I.10:5, 86:13; I.11:4, 90:21]
Synonyms:
perigee[Alm. Toomer: 141]