Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

mcdowell line

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.24 in modern English

Syllables
mc-dow-ell -line
IPA
20
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The altitude of periapsis at which atmospheric drag will prevent an object from successfully orbiting.

noun

Alternative form of McDowell line.

Etymology

Proposed by astrophysicist Jonathan C. McDowell in 2018; when analyzing orbiting satellites to determine the perigee altitude at which one can successfully orbit twice or more on a highly elliptical orbit.

Inflected Forms

McDowell Limit (alternative)

Phrases

Armstrong line death zone

Frequently Paired Words

Armstrong line death zone mesopause Kármán line Karman line Kármán limit Karman limit

Questions

What does mcdowell line mean?
The altitude of periapsis at which atmospheric drag will prevent an object from successfully orbiting.
Where does mcdowell line come from?
Proposed by astrophysicist Jonathan C. McDowell in 2018; when analyzing orbiting satellites to determine the perigee altitude at which one can successfully orbit twice or more on a highly elliptical orbit.

How to pronounce mcdowell line

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “mcdowell line”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “mcdowell line”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “mcdowell line” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.