The minimum distance at which a celestial body held together only by self gravity, rather than material strength, will be torn apart by the tidal forces of a larger body it orbits. It explains phenomena such as planetary ring formation from disrupted moons; the classical calculation assumes a fluid, strengthless satellite, an idealization some observed systems are now known to violate.
Facts
Concept Domain Formulated Year Proposed ByDerived by French astronomer Édouard Roche in 1848. 1 Connections
Associated With
Tidal disruption distance is a standard orbital-mechanics calculation applied to rings and close moons.
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Phobos is expected to be torn apart when it crosses Mars Roche limit
Saturn's ring system lies largely within its Roche limit.
Triton is predicted to cross Neptune Roche limit in the far future
In the Other Atlases
Originated In
Also in Science Atlas: where this subject originated.
Sources
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationRoche limit, History section
The term is named after Edouard Roche...the French astronomer who first calculated this theoretical limit in 1848.
- Associated With: Orbital Mechanics
View the Source Roche limit (Wikipedia)
Roche limit, lead paragraph section
also called Roche radius
Roche limit, Explanation section
the French astronomer who first calculated this theoretical limit in 1848
Roche limit, Wikipedia - respelling key
ROSH
In Group: Orbital Elements and Celestial Mechanics, Lead sentence
In celestial mechanics, the Roche limit, also called Roche radius, is the distance from a celestial body within which a second celestial body, held together only by its own force of gravity, will disintegrate because the first body's tidal forces exceed the second body's self-gravitation.
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