An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

The stretching of an object under → tidal force. Tidal stretching results from a difference in the gravitational pull felt on two sides of a body. It is proportional to the inverse cube of the distance to the source of gravity (1/r³). As a consequence, nearby objects, even small ones like the Moon, raise high tides, whereas distant giants like Jupiter do not produce much of an effect.

See also: → tidal; → stretching.