What structural characteristic do both a mature protoplanet and a planet share, differentiating them from smaller planetesimals?
Answer
Being massive enough to be spherical due to self-gravity (hydrostatic equilibrium)
The defining shared characteristic between a mature protoplanet and a fully formed planet is their size and resultant shape maintenance. Both categories of bodies possess sufficient mass such that their own gravitational forces mold them into a sphere, achieving a state known as hydrostatic equilibrium. Planetesimals, being smaller, have not yet reached this size where gravity overcomes material rigidity to force a spherical shape. However, the differentiation remains that only the planet has subsequently cleared its orbital neighborhood of other significant masses.
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