submicrometer
sub-MY-kruh-mee-ter
Definition
Refers to objects or particles with dimensions smaller than one micrometer (one millionth of a meter).
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'sub-' (meaning under or below) and 'micrometer' (a unit of measurement), the latter coming from the Greek 'mikros' (small) and 'metron' (measure).
In the news
The article uses the term to describe the tiny size of the ice grains that struck the Cassini spacecraft's detector at high speeds, which influenced the quality and nature of the data collected.
Enceladus sprays water, phosphates, molecular hydrogen and complex organics straight out of its buried ocean — and a 2025 analysis found previously unseen organic compounds in freshly ejected ice, adding still more steps to the chemical pathways that c
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com