Enter the mass of the central object and the satellite density into the calculator to determine the Roche limit.
Roche Limit Formula
The following equation is used to calculate a Roche limit.
R = [ (100*M) / (9*pi*p) ] ^ 1/3
- Where R is the Roch limit also known as the radius
- M is the mass of the central object
- p is the density of the satellite
Roche Limit Definition
The Roche Limit is defined as the distance from the center of an object at which orbiting objects would form rings around that body.
Roche Limit Example
How to calculate the Roche Limit?
- First, determine the mass of the central object.
Calculate the mass of the larger object.
- Next, determine the density of the satellite.
Calculate the density of the orbiting object.
- Finally, calculate the Roche Limit
Calculate the Roche Limit using the formula above.
FAQ
The Roche limit is the distance at which an orbiting object or satellite will form rings around a larger body. This is also known as the point at which an object will be captured.
The limit depends only on the mass of the central object and the density of the satellite.

