minor planet
Small solar orbiter
A minor planet is a celestial body that orbits the Sun but isn't classified as a planet or comet.
The term encompasses asteroids, dwarf planets like Pluto and Ceres, and other small rocky or icy objects.
Astronomers catalogued thousands of minor planets in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter before the term gave way to more specific categories.
Goddess of crops and growth
Sun-orbiting rocky mass
- planetesimalPrimordial orbiting rock
- centaurHalf-human, half-equine being
- TrojanOf an ancient walled city
- carbonaceousContaining or composed of carbon
silicate · metallic · binary · rubble pile · monolithic · numbered · unnumbered
Orbital point nearest sun
- aphelionFarthest point from sun
- eccentricityUnconventional behavior or nature
- inclinationDisposition toward something
- perturbationState of being unsettled
Surface reflection coefficient
- craterImpact or volcanic basin
- irregularDeviating from normal patterns
- elongatedStretched beyond usual dimensions
- rotationTurning on an axis
spin · axis · composition · density · mass · diameter · surface · regolith
Facility for celestial study
- telescopeInstrument magnifying faraway objects
- surveySystematic data collection
- astrometryMeasuring celestial body positions
- photometryMeasuring light intensity
occultation · designation · catalog · ephemeris · recovery · amateur · professional
Close pass without landing
- rendezvousScheduled meeting at agreed location
- orbiterBody circling another
- landerSpacecraft for surface arrival
- HayabusaAsteroid-sampling space probe
Dawn · Rosetta · imaging · spectrometer · radar · deflection · DART · impact
Ceres
Goddess of crops and growth
asteroid
Sun-orbiting rocky mass
- planetesimalPrimordial orbiting rock
- centaurHalf-human, half-equine being
- TrojanOf an ancient walled city
carbonaceous · silicate · metallic · binary · rubble pile · monolithic · numbered · unnumbered
perihelion
Orbital point nearest sun
- aphelionFarthest point from sun
- eccentricityUnconventional behavior or nature
- inclinationDisposition toward something
perturbation · apsidal precession · ephemeris · conjunction · opposition
albedo
Surface reflection coefficient
- craterImpact or volcanic basin
- irregularDeviating from normal patterns
- elongatedStretched beyond usual dimensions
rotation · spin · axis · composition · density · mass · diameter · surface · regolith · boulder
observatory
Facility for celestial study
- telescopeInstrument magnifying faraway objects
- surveySystematic data collection
- astrometryMeasuring celestial body positions
photometry · occultation · designation · catalog · ephemeris · recovery · amateur · professional
flyby
Close pass without landing
- rendezvousScheduled meeting at agreed location
- orbiterBody circling another
- landerSpacecraft for surface arrival
Hayabusa · Dawn · Rosetta · imaging · spectrometer · radar · deflection · DART · impact
minor planetplanet
Star-orbiting spherical body
giant planet · gas giant · Jupiter · terrestrial planet · ice giant
planet, minor, planets, minors, planetary, minored, planetarium, minoring, exoplanet