![]() |
physical object > natural object > celestial body > asteroid |
![]() ![]() | ||||
asteroid (minor planet, planetoid) | ||||
subject | fact |
asteroid | is a part of our solar system | ![]() |
has asteroid number | ![]() | |
has synonym minor planet | ![]() | |
has synonym planetoid | ![]() | |
has definition A small rocky body that orbits a star. In the solar system, most asteroids lie between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The largest asteroid is Ceres, about 900 kilometers in diameter. | ![]() | |
has definition A small planet-like body of the solar system, <e> ≃ 0.15, <i> ≃ 9°.7 . More than 1800 have been catalogued, and probably millions of smaller ones exist, but their total mass would probably be less than 3 percent that of the Moon. Their densities are poorly known (about 2.6 g cm-3), but they suggest a composition similar to carbonaceous chondrite. The bright asteroids are presumably original condensations and those fainter than about 14-15 mag are collision fragments. Asteroids and short-period comets have some orbital similarities. Also called minor planet | ![]() | |
has definition Also called planetoids or minor planets, the asteroids are tiny planets most of which orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. The largest - and the first discovered - is Ceres, with a diameter of 1,003 km. It is estimated that there may altogether be no fewer than 40000. A few have very elliptical orbits and cross the orbits of several other (major) planets. One or two even have their own satellites (moons). | ![]() | |
is a kind of celestial body | ![]() | |
celestial body | has spectra | ![]() |
physical object | has location or center of gravity | ![]() |
has angular momentum | ![]() | |
has mass | ![]() | |
has velocity | ![]() | |
has momentum | ![]() | |
has temperature | ![]() | |
has volume | ![]() | |
has extent | ![]() | |
has material | ![]() |
Kinds of asteroid :
Next celestial body: asteroid belt Up: celestial body Previous celestial body: X-ray source