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Old 31-July-2005, 04:59 PM
pteranodon pteranodon is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kesh
"Planetesimal" sounds like their made-up word for a planetoid impact (i.e. meteor, comet, etc.).

There actually is some danger of a "gamma ray burst" from the center of the galaxy, but it would literally take eons to reach us.
"Planetesimal" is an actual astronomical term that refers to the the small bodies orbiting the star during the formation of a solar system. They become planets when they no longer accrete matter and reach their definitive size/orbit. The term was indeed misused.
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