microgravity

mi·cro·grav·i·ty  (mkr-grv-t)

n.

1. A condition in which there is very little net gravitational force, as of a free-falling object, an orbit, or interstellar space.

2. A minute shift in gravity that can occur through geologic factors in a region, such as the movement of the earth's crust along fault lines.

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microgravity  (mkr-grv-t)

A condition in which an object in the gravitational field of some other body (such as the Earth) is accelerated freely as a result of the gravitational force. Free-falling objects, such as a skydiver or a satellite orbiting the Earth, are in a condition of microgravity, while objects held up by forces resisting gravity (as in the case of objects resting on the Earth's surface) or held up by aerodynamic forces (as in the case of birds or aircraft) are not. Since the normal experience of weight on Earth is the result of forces that resist gravity, objects in microgravity appear weightless. Not all effects of gravity are eliminated in such conditions; tidal forces, for example, still affect bodies in microgravity, especially large bodies such as the Earth and the Moon.