micrometeoroid

noun

mi·​cro·​me·​te·​or·​oid ˌmī-krō-ˈmē-tē-ə-ˌrȯid 

: micrometeorite sense 2

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Shortly after announcing that those images would release in July, though, dire news was shared – a micrometeoroid had hit Webb. Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 1 Oct. 2022

The first one, called a deep-field image, is of a patch of sky that, from Earth, is about the equivalent of what would be occluded by a grain of sand—or a micrometeoroid—held out at arm’s length. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 18 July 2022

While the James Webb was damaged by the micrometeoroid, the telescope is still performing beyond expectations. Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 21 July 2022

Since its launch, arguably the roughest luck the James Webb Space Telescope has had is hitting a micrometeoroid the size of a grain of sand. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 18 July 2022

But a micrometeoroid has now taken a swing at the James Webb. Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 9 June 2022

That’s despite the space observatory last week being struck by a micrometeoroid. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 11 June 2022

James Webb space telescope has been hit by a micrometeoroid. Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 9 June 2022

The recent hit—a micrometeoroid is tiny, generally considered smaller than a grain of sand and weighing less than a gram—was larger than what was modeled, and beyond what could have been tested on the ground, NASA tells Reuters. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 9 June 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined above