The stage in the evolution of a star in which the pressure of the star is insufficient to maintain it at a stable size, and its material falls inward under its own gravitational attraction, eventually forming a black hole or a neutron star, and sometimes accompanied by a supernova explosion.

(astronomy) A massive body that produces distorted, magnified or multiple images of more distant objects when its gravitational field bends the path of light rays.

(physics) the field produced by the gravitational force of mass

(quantum mechanics) The quantum theory of the gravitational field. / (quantum mechanics) The study of quantum fields in curved spacetime.

(astronomy) The action of a highly-massive object (such as a star, galaxy, or black hole) that acts as a gravitational lens and focuses light from a light source (such as another star or galaxy) that passes behind it as observed from the Earth.

(physics) The convection (carriage) of contents of a fluid, such as mass or heat, by means of currents induced in the fluid by buoyancy forces which are dependent on gravity acting upon density differences within the fluid.

plural of gravitational keyhole

(astronomy) A tiny region of space where a planet's gravity would alter the orbit of a passing asteroid such that the asteroid would collide with that planet on a given future orbital pass.

plural of gravitational assist

plural of gravitational mass