A Small Solar System Body (SSSB) is a term defined in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union to describe objects in the Solar System that are neither planets nor dwarf planets: The final definition left the solar system with eight planets, pictured above (not to scale) Displays the remaining eight planets with the celestial bodies that have now been designated as dwarf planets. ... Logo of the IAU The International Astronomical Union (French: Union astronomique internationale) unites national astronomical societies from around the world. ... Major features of the Solar System (not to scale; from left to right): Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, the asteroid belt, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth and its Moon, and Mars. ... The eight planets and three dwarf planets of the Solar System. ... Artists impression of Pluto (background) and Charon (foreground). ...

All other objects orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as "Small Solar System Bodies" ... These currently include most of the Solar System asteroids, most Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), comets, and other small bodies.^[1]

This encompasses:

• all minor planets apart from the dwarf planets, i.e.:

  the classical asteroids, (except for 1 Ceres, the largest);

  the centaurs and Neptune Trojans;

  the Trans-Neptunian Objects (except for dwarf planets such as Pluto and Eris);

• all comets.

It is not yet clear whether there will be a lower bound on the group of small solar system bodies, or if it will encompass all material down to the level of meteoroids. Upper bound is also somewhat questionable, but planets ar definitely not small. Minor planets, or asteroids or planetoids, are minor celestial bodies of the Solar system orbiting the Sun (mostly Small solar system bodies) that are smaller than major planets, but larger than meteoroids (commonly defined as being 10 meters across or less[1]), and that are not comets. ... Artists impression of Pluto (background) and Charon (foreground). ... 253 Mathilde, a C-type asteroid. ... 1 Ceres (IPA , Latin: ) is a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt. ... The centaurs are a class of icy planetoids that orbit the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune, named after the mythical race of centaurs. ... As of March 2007, there are five[1] known Neptune Trojans (named by analogy to the Trojan asteroids) which have the same orbital period as the planet. ... A trans-Neptunian object (TNO) is any object in the solar system with all or most of its orbit beyond that of Neptune. ... Adjectives: Plutonian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 0. ... Absolute magnitude: −1. ... Comet Hale-Bopp Comet West For other uses, see Comet (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that micrometeoroid be merged into this article or section. ... The eight planets and three dwarf planets of the Solar System. ...

Moons are different in that their orbits are located not around the sun but another object in the solar system, such as a planets, dwarf planets etc. A natural satellite is an object that orbits a planet or other body larger than itself and which is not man-made. ... Two bodies with a slight difference in mass orbiting around a common barycenter. ... The Sun (Latin: Sol) is the star at the center of the Solar System. ... Artists impression of Pluto (background) and Charon (foreground). ...

Some of the larger Small Solar System Bodies may be reclassified in future as dwarf planets, pending further examination to determine whether or not they are in hydrostatic equilibrium. Hydrostatic equilibrium occurs when compression due to gravity is balanced by a pressure gradient which creates a pressure gradient force in the opposite direction. ...

The vast majority of the small solar system bodies are nowadays restricted to two definite areas, namely, the asteroid belt and the Kuiper belt. The definitions of the boundaries of these are somewhat vague. The belts definitely have some internal structure in the distribution of the small solar system bodies. These are mainly caused by the large planets, Neptune and Jupiter. For details on the physical properties of bodies in the asteroid belt see Asteroid and Main-belt comet. ... Artists rendering of the Kuiper Belt and hypothetical more distant Oort cloud. ... Adjectives: Neptunian Atmosphere Surface pressure: ≫ 100 kPa (cloud level) Composition: 80% ± 3. ... Adjectives: Jovian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 20–200 kPa[4] (cloud layer) Composition: ~86% Molecular hydrogen ~13% Helium 0. ...

Other areas of the solar system also encompass small bodies such as near-earth asteroids, centaurs or comets. Here, it must be noted that the eccentricity of the orbits of many of the bodies brings them regularly to regions outside the main areas. Near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) are asteroids whose orbits are close to Earths orbit. ... The centaurs are a class of icy planetoids that orbit the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune, named after the mythical race of centaurs. ... Comet Hale-Bopp Comet West For other uses, see Comet (disambiguation). ... (This page refers to eccitricity in astrodynamics. ...

Meteoroids are the smallest pieces of material hurling in space. The NEO-defintion incorporates objects up to 50 m in diameter in this category. The Royal Astronomical Society has proposed a new definition where a meteroid is between 100 µm (0,1 mm) and 10 m across. Any smaller objects would then be interplanetary dust, molecules in gas clouds or single atoms. It has been suggested that micrometeoroid be merged into this article or section. ... Near-Earth objects (NEO) are asteroids, comets and large meteoroids whose orbit intersects Earths orbit and which may therefore pose a collision danger. ... The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research (mainly carried on at the time by gentleman astronomers rather than professionals). ... It has been suggested that Space dust be merged into this article or section. ...

Meteoroids are usually observed only as shooting stars, but the largest of the meteoroids are capable to do damage even on the groud. The impactor in Tunguska event was later estimated to be at least 20 m in diameter. Several large meteoroids have been found orbiting in close proximity of the planet Earth in recent years, but as of May 2007, there are no observed impact events of previously known SSSB's. Trees felled by the Tunguska blast. ...

See also

• Vulcanoid asteroid
• Near-earth asteroids
• Hungaria asteroids
• Main belt
• Cybele asteroids
• Hilda asteroids
• Trojan asteroids
• Centaur (planetoid)
• Kuiper belt
• Trans-Neptunian objects

• Comets
• Meteoroids

Vulcanoids are hypothetical asteroids that may orbit in a dynamically stable zone between 0. ... Near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) are asteroids whose orbits are close to Earths orbit. ... The Hungaria asteroids are a group of asteroids in the main belt that orbit the sun between 1. ... For details on the physical properties of bodies in the asteroid belt see Asteroid and Main-belt comet. ... 65 Cybele (sib-a-lee) is one of the largest asteroids in the main belt. ... Hilda asteroids are asteroids with a semi-major axis between 3. ... Image of the Trojan asteroids in front of and behind Jupiter along its orbital path. ... The centaurs are a class of icy planetoids that orbit the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune, named after the mythical race of centaurs. ... Artists rendering of the Kuiper Belt and hypothetical more distant Oort cloud. ... A trans-Neptunian object (TNO) is any object in the solar system with all or most of its orbit beyond that of Neptune. ... Comet Hale-Bopp Comet West For other uses, see Comet (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that micrometeoroid be merged into this article or section. ...

References