circumstellar
Around a star
Circumstellar describes the region of space immediately surrounding a star.
Astronomers use the term to characterize dust, gas, disks, or other material that orbits or exists in close proximity to a star: The circumstellar disk around the young star may eventually form planets.
The circumstellar habitable zone—sometimes called the Goldilocks zone—is the range of distances from a star where conditions might allow liquid water to exist on a planet's surface.
Preceding planetary formation
- accretionGrowth through external addition
- debrisScattered broken fragments
- dustFine settled particles
- gasFormless, expanding substance
planetesimal · zodiacal · silicates · ices · ring · gap · spiral · warped
Fluid exiting a system
- shellHard outer covering
- dustFine settled particles
- gasFormless, expanding substance
- bipolarHaving two opposite poles
spherical · detached · shocked · maser · molecular · ejecta · cocoon · obscuration
Sun-orbiting rocky mass
- cometIcy orbiting body
- meteoroidSmall body in space
- dustFine settled particles
- planetesimalPrimordial orbiting rock
collision · remnant · belt · scattered · dynamical · impact · micrometeorite · rocky
Planet outside our system
- terrestrialRelating to land
- protoplanetEarly-stage forming planet
- migrationMovement to new territory
- transitMovement between places
atmosphere · formation · accretion · moon
Evidence of living processes
- habitabilitySuitability for dwelling
- ecosphereAll habitable regions collectively
- temperateMild, avoiding extremes
- photosynthesisLight-to-sugar conversion in plants
protoplanetary
Preceding planetary formation
gas · planetesimal · zodiacal · silicates · ices · ring · gap · spiral · warped · flared
outflow
Fluid exiting a system
bipolar · spherical · detached · shocked · maser · molecular · ejecta · cocoon · obscuration
asteroid
Sun-orbiting rocky mass
planetesimal · collision · remnant · belt · scattered · dynamical · impact · micrometeorite · rocky · icy
exoplanet
Planet outside our system
- terrestrialRelating to land
- protoplanetEarly-stage forming planet
- migrationMovement to new territory
transit · atmosphere · formation · accretion · moon
biosignature
Evidence of living processes
- habitabilitySuitability for dwelling
- ecosphereAll habitable regions collectively
- temperateMild, avoiding extremes
circumstellarinterstellar
Between celestial bodies
intergalactic · interplanetary · extragalactic · stellar · extrasolar
circumstellarintergalactic
Spanning multiple star systems
galactic · cosmic · universal · extragalactic
star, stellar, astral, constellation, circumscribe, circumnavigate, interstellar, substellar, circum