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Roche limit

Pronunciation: /rəʊʃ/

(also Roche's limit)
Definition of Roche limit

noun

Astronomy
  • the distance within which the gravitational field of a large body is strong enough to prevent any smaller body from being held together by gravity.

Origin:

late 19th century: named after Edouard Albert Roche (1820–83), French mathematician

Roche limit in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of Roche limit in the US English dictionary

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