ScienceAugust 25, 2026

sublimating

SUB-li-may-ting

Definition

The process of a substance changing directly from a solid state into a gas without passing through the liquid phase.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'sublimare', meaning 'to lift up or elevate', reflecting the transition of a substance into a higher, gaseous state.

In the news

In the article, the term explains how frozen ices on a comet vaporize as it nears the Sun, which physically reshapes the comet's surface over many orbits.

A Comet Photobombed a Powerful Telescope and Revealed Something Astronomers Rarely See

Read the full article ↗

ZME Science

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