Definition of Oort cloud

1. Noun. (astronomy) a hypothetical huge collection of comets orbiting the sun far beyond the orbit of Pluto; perturbations (as by other stars) can upset a comet's orbit and may send it tumbling toward the sun.

Category relationships: Astronomy, Uranology
Generic synonyms: Accumulation, Aggregation, Assemblage, Collection

Definition of Oort cloud

1. Proper noun. (astronomy) A roughly spherical region of space from 50,000 to 100,000 astronomical units (approximately 1 light year) from the sun; supposedly the source of most comets. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Lexicographical Neighbors of Oort Cloud

Onufrowicz
Onuphrius
Onychium
Onychogalea
Onychomys
Oom Paul Kruger
Oompa Loompa
Oompa Loompas
Oona
Oonagh
Oopack
Oopacks
Oopak
Oort
Oort Cloud
Oort cloud (current term)
Oorya
Ooryas
Oozlefinch
Opal
Opalina
Opals
Opalski cell
Opel
OpenCourseWare
OpenDocument
OpenGL
Open Closed Principle
Open Game
Open Games

Literary usage of Oort cloud

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Exploring Organic Environments in the Solar System by National Research Council (U.S.) (2007)
"Many of the comets formed near Uranus-Neptune (~20 AU) were perturbed outward in what is now known as the Oort cloud, via gravitational interactions with ..."

2. Through Darkness Into Light: Endless Cycles of the Divine Plan by Gyeorgos C. Hatonn (1992)
"This “Oort cloud”, as the concept came to be named, settled at a mean distance, ... This, briefly, is how the Oort cloud concept is usually stated. ..."

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