gravity well

English

Etymology

From gravity + well, (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Who coined this? When?”)

Noun

gravity well (plural gravity wells)

  1. (astrodynamics) The area of space around a celestial body that is dominated by the body's gravitational field.
    Synonym: gravitational well
    • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Altanorch:
      Altanorch is a small but typical hydrogen-helium gas giant with no outstanding features. Its combination of strong magnetic field and relatively shallow gravity well make it a popular "stopover" world for discharging FTL drive cores.

Translations

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