Meanings
- uncountableastronomyThe phenomenon of a star rotating so rapidly that it is oblate, with a larger radius and thus lower surface gravity at the equator (which is thus cooler and darker: gravity-darkened), and higher surface gravity at the poles (which are hotter and brighter: gravity brightened).
Synonyms: gravity brightening
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe phenomenon of a star rotating so rapidly that it is oblate, with a larger radius and thus lower surface gravity at the equator (which is thus cooler and darker: gravity-darkened), and higher surface gravity at the poles (which are hotter and brighter: gravity brightened).
Cite this entry
gravity darkening. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gravity%20darkening
“gravity darkening.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gravity%20darkening. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gravity darkening,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gravity%20darkening.
Source: gravity darkening on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.