- A parallel question, albeit in less extravagant form, was posed by former NASA administrator, Daniel Goldin, shortly after astronomers detected the first extrasolar planets around normal stars.
extrasolar
noun; compounding
beyond the sun or the solar system The morpheme 'extra-' can be used to describe things as being outside or above other things, so attaching it to the word 'solar' (of, pertaining to, or proceeding from the sun) creates a new word meaning 'outside of the sun.' However, in the case of extrasolar planets, the planets must be outside of the solar system, because the nature of planets requires that they not be within any stars. Therefore, this meaning must also be included, but the more general meaning of 'outside of the sun' seems to have some importance, so I have classified the word as a compound without any elements of clipping (from 'solar system' to 'solar').
Etymology : 'extra-' (outside) + 'sol' (sun) + '-ar' (A, of, pertaining to)
Source : SPACE.com
Last modified: 10 June 2008