Roche limit

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A planet's or star's Roche limit is the smallest distance a satellite (which is held together only by gravitational forces) can approach it without being desintegrated by tidal forces. Generally, there are two forms of the Roche limit: one for a solid satellite, an other, bigger one for a fluid satellite.

As the Roche lobe and the Roche sphere, the Roche limit is named after the French physicist Édouard Albert Roche (1820 – 1883).

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