astromaterials
/ˌæstrəʊməˈtɪəriəlz/
Definition
Physical samples or substances collected from space environments, such as meteorites, moon rocks, or planetary surface materials, used for scientific study.
Etymology
The word is a compound formed from the Greek 'astron' (star) and the Latin 'materialis' (of matter). It was coined in modern scientific discourse to describe the physical substances returned from or existing within extraterrestrial environments.
In the news
While the term appears as a category in the article's navigation menu, it refers to the specialized field of studying physical matter from space that informs planetary science and research missions like the ROADS challenge.
Northwest Earth and Space Science Pathways Project Celebrates Student Innovation Through ROADS from Earth to Venus National Challenge
Read the full article ↗NASA Science (.gov)