concept

Snow line

Planetary scienceChemistryAstronomy

The distance in a protoplanetary disk where the temperature falls below about 170 K and water stops being vapour and freezes into ice. Beyond it, the available solid material multiplies, which is why giant-planet cores can only grow quickly on the far side. Inside it, everything that assembles comes out dry - such a world's water has to be delivered later.

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