Small Body

Cosma / Communication / Knowledge / Realm / Physical / Universe / Solar System / Small Body
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Small Solar System Body (SSSB) is an object in the Solar System that is neither a planet, a dwarf planet, nor a natural satellite. The term was first defined in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). This encompasses all comets and all minor planets other than those that are dwarf planets. Thus SSSBs are: the comets; the classical asteroids, with the exception of the dwarf planet Ceres; the trojans; and the centaurs and trans-Neptunian objects, with the exception of the dwarf planets Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris and others that may turn out to be dwarf planets. — Wikipedia

Minor Planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun (or more broadly, any star with a planetary system) that is neither a planet nor exclusively classified as a comet. Before 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially used the term minor planet, but during that year’s meeting it reclassified minor planets and comets into dwarf planets and small Solar System bodies (SSSBs). Minor planets include asteroids (near-Earth objects, Mars-crossers, main-belt asteroids and Jupiter trojans), as well as distant minor planets (centaurs and trans-Neptunian objects), most of which reside in the Kuiper belt and the scattered disc. — Wikipedia

Small Body (Encyclopædia Britannica)

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Adventures

Explore related posts on Cosma …

RIP Rossetta! - The “Little Mission that Could” has come to an end, but what a mission it was to watch! In honor of the success, here are some videos and articles about the many, many accomplishments. Euronews (YouTube Channel) Euronews (Official Website) NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (YouTube Channel) NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Official Website) Rosetta Mission Ends … Continue reading RIP Rossetta!
Space Rocks! - NASA engineers had quite a New Years celebration in 2019 when New Horizons successfully executed a flyby of a tiny object named 2014 MU69 while moving at 32,000 miles per hour. The planetesimal 2014 MU69 is better known by it’s nickname Ultima Thule, and it’s located way out past Pluto in a region of the … Continue reading Space Rocks!

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Inspiration

NASA’s Eyes is a freely available suite of computer visualization applications created by the Visualization Technology Applications and Development Team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to render scientifically accurate views of the planets studied by JPL missions and the spacecraft used in that study. Eyes on Astroids provides real-time visualization of every known asteroid or coment that is classified as a Near-Earth Object (NEO). You can also explore most of NASA’s asteroid and comet missions (past and present), from Galileo , to Lucy and DART.– Wikipedia

Eyes on Asteroids (NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System, NASA’s JPL & Cal Tech)

Asteroids (Astrum, YouTube Playlist)
Comets (Astrum, YouTube Playlist)

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Innovation

Science

ScienceAtNASA (YouTube Channel)
NASA Science (Official Website)

NASA (YouTube Channel)
NASA (Official Website)

Small Bodies of the Solar System (NASA Science)
Asteroids, Comets & Meteors (NASA Science)

Center for Near Earth Object Studies (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
Asteroid Watch (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

Asteroids, Comets and Other Small Worlds (Planetary Society)

Object Search (Minor Planet Center, International Astronomical Union)

Minor Planets (Wolfram Alpha)

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Preservation

Museum

Small Solar System Bodies (Exploring the Planets, National Air and Space Museum)
Dwarf Planets (National Air and Space Museum)

Library

DDC: 523.49 Small Bodies (Library Thing)

LCC: QB 377 SMall Bodies (Library of Congress)
Subject: Small Bodies (Library of Congress)

Subject: Small Bodies (WorldCat)

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Participation

Education

NASAeClips (YouTube Channel)
NASAeClips (Official Website)

More to Explore: Asteroids, Comets and Meteorites (NASA)
NASA Learning Objects: Small Body Data-Base Search Engine (NASA/MERLOT)

Asteroids and Comets (Science Trek)

Small Solar System Bodies Learning Resources (National Air and Space Museum)
Dwarf Planets Learning Resources (National Air and Space Museum)

Community

Organization

Minor Planet Center (International Astronomical Union)
Asteroids & Remote Planets Section (British Astronomical Association)

News

Asteroid and Comet Watch (NASA)
Asteroids, Comets and Meteors (Science Daily)
Solar System Body Small (Phys.org)

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