Planemo

Pronunciation

• /ˈplænÉ™moÊŠ/

Origin

Contraction of planetary-mass object. Coined by Gibor Basri, Professor of Astronomy at the , (UCB) at the 2003 conference.

Full definition of planemo

Noun

1. (astronomy) an astronomical object with enough mass to achieve hydrostatic equilibrium, but not enough to initiate core fusion at any time in its existence. That is, it is rounded in shape and is smaller than a star. Planemos include planets, dwarf planets, and the larger moons of the Solar System, but also sub-brown dwarfs and rogue planets between the stars.
• 2003 , Dec. 1, Jacques Lépine & Jane Gregorio-Hetem, Open Issues in Local Star Formation, Other groups have also recently identified young, isolated planemos; understanding how such isolated, ultra-low masses form presents a challenge.