extrasolar

adjective

ex·​tra·​so·​lar ˌek-strə-ˈsō-lər How to pronounce extrasolar (audio)
-ˌlär
: originating or existing outside the solar system
extrasolar planets

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Some of the closest stellar systems to our sun are brown dwarfs—the third and fourth nearest extrasolar systems, at 6.5 and 7.3 light-years, respectively (the closest are Alpha Centauri and Barnard’s star). Katelyn Allers, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2021 Modern searches for extrasolar planets attempt to find them by looking for the characteristic dip in brightness that happens when a planet passes in front of its parent star. Scientific American, 1 July 2013 Unlike previous extrasolar planet-hunting techniques, DICER would be capable of finding and studying planets at all inclinations, including face-on orbits. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2023 The story involves two androids serving as Mother (Amanda Collin) and Father (Abubakar Salim) figures on a strange virgin planet, Kepler 22b (an actual observed extrasolar planet), after Earth has been destroyed by the outbreak of a religious war. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 2 Oct. 2020 No surprise that the $350 million production, set on the extrasolar moon Pandora and filled with breathtaking aquatic visuals, has prompted an array of collaborative merch rollouts. Ingrid Schmidt, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Jan. 2023 The Roman Space Telescope could help answer questions from the nature of dark energy to the possibility of life on extrasolar planets. Yvette Cendes, Discover Magazine, 15 Aug. 2020 It’s a coming-of-age tale that unfolds on humanity’s first extrasolar space colony. Alyse Stanley, Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2022 Now, the authors say that, along with the distance from its host star, planetary mass can be another marker to determine if an extrasolar planet can hold onto enough water for life. Elizabeth Fernandez, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'extrasolar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of extrasolar was in 1872

Dictionary Entries Near extrasolar

Cite this Entry

“Extrasolar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extrasolar. Accessed 31 May. 2023.

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