noun
Astronomical term referring to a rotating disk of matter formed around a celestial object, such as a star or black hole, through gravitational attraction
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The formation of stars often involves the accretion disks of gas and dust surrounding a protostar.
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Scientists study accretion disks to understand how stars are born.
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Check out these cool pics of accretion disks around black holes!
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Her mind was like a swirling accretion disk, absorbing new information constantly.