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micrometeoroid
3 dictionary results for: Micrometeoroid
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
mi·cro·me·te·or·oid
 (mī'krō-mē'tē-ə-roid') Pronunciation Key
n. A very small, often dust-sized meteoroid. |
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
| micrometeoroid | |
noun | |
| a meteorite or meteoroid so small that it drifts down to earth without becoming intensely heated in the atmosphere [syn: micrometeorite] |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| micrometeoroid
(mī'krō-mē'tē-ə-roid') Pronunciation Key
An extremely small meteoroid, typically the size of a grain of dust. Particles measuring less than 0.05 mm (0.002 inch) in diameter are classed as micrometeoroids. Despite their small size, their high velocities mean that micrometeoroids pose a significant threat to spacecraft and artificial satellites. ◇ A micrometeoroid that reaches the surface of the Earth, the Moon, or another celestial body is called a micrometeorite. The tiny size of micrometeoroids allows them to radiate away the heat generated by friction with the atmosphere, with the result that the proportion of micrometeoroids becoming micrometeorites is greater than the proportion of meteoroids becoming meteorites. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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