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.

nearest the earth ‘close to the Earth’

English

References: TB Robbins: 7
Translation of:
Greek: περιγειότητα [TB Hübner: I.4:394, H23]
Synonyms:
(region) about the earth[TB Robbins: 7]
close to the earth[TB Robbins: 35]
closest to the earth[TB Robbins: 39]