List of minor planets

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Euler diagram showing the types of bodies in the Solar System.

This is a list of numbered minor planets in the Solar System, in numerical order. As of December 2015 there are 455,144 numbered minor planets, and 246,516 unnumbered. Most are not particularly noteworthy; only 19,712 minor planets have been given names (the first nameless minor planet being number 3708). Five minor planets have been accepted as dwarf planets by the IAU, and hundreds more are likely to be dwarf planets.

The following are lists of minor planets by physical properties, orbital properties, or discovery circumstances:

• Asteroids and dwarf planets
  • List of unnumbered minor planets – minor planets yet to receive a numbered designation (about 35% of minor planets as of December 2015)
  • List of trans-Neptunian objects – objects whose orbit carries it beyond that of Neptune
  • List of possible dwarf planets – minor planets suspected to be massive enough to pull themselves into a sphere.
  • List of dwarf planets – Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake
  • List of exceptional asteroids – for example, asteroids with a highly inclined orbit, particularly large, fast or slowly rotating
  • List of minor planets and comets visited by spacecraft – any minor planet or comet at one point observed or passed close to by a spacecraft
  • Minor-planet moon – any astronomical body that orbits a minor planet as its natural satellite
• Comets
  • List of numbered comets – comets observed through multiple orbits around the Sun.
  • List of periodic comets – comets with orbital periods shorter than 200 years
  • List of hyperbolic comets – comets from the Oort cloud with enough orbital energy to escape the Sun's gravity

Numbering and naming conventions

Total, numbered, and named minor planets from 1995 to 2014.

After discovery, asteroids generally receive a provisional designation (such as "1989 AC"), then a sequential number (such as 4179), and finally (optionally) a name (such as "Toutatis"), in that order.

In modern times, an asteroid receives a sequential number only after it has been observed several times over at least 4 oppositions. Asteroids whose orbits are not (yet) precisely known are known by their provisional designation. This rule was not necessarily followed in earlier times, and some asteroids received a number but became subsequently lost asteroid . All of these have now been recovered; the last "lost" numbered asteroid was 719 Albert.

Only after a number is assigned is the asteroid eligible to receive a name. Usually the discoverer has up to 10 years to pick a name; some asteroids remain unnamed. Especially towards the end of the twentieth century, with large-scale automated asteroid discovery programs such as LINEAR, the pace of discoveries has increased so much that it seems likely that the vast majority of minor planets will never receive names.

For the reasons mentioned above, the sequence of numbers only approximately matches the timeline of discovery. In extreme cases, such as lost asteroids, there may be a considerable mismatch: for instance the high-numbered 69230 Hermes was originally discovered in 1937, but it was a lost until 2003. Only after it was rediscovered could its orbit be established and a number assigned.

Index to lists of minor planets

The minor planets are listed in the following:

1–1000	10001–11000	20001–21000	30001–31000	40001–41000
1001–2000	11001–12000	21001–22000	31001–32000	41001–42000
2001–3000	12001–13000	22001–23000	32001–33000	42001–43000
3001–4000	13001–14000	23001–24000	33001–34000	43001–44000
4001–5000	14001–15000	24001–25000	34001–35000	44001–45000
5001–6000	15001–16000	25001–26000	35001–36000	45001–46000
6001–7000	16001–17000	26001–27000	36001–37000	46001–47000
7001–8000	17001–18000	27001–28000	37001–38000	47001–48000
8001–9000	18001–19000	28001–29000	38001–39000	48001–49000
9001–10000	19001–20000	29001–30000	39001–40000	49001–50000
50001–51000	60001–61000	70001–71000	80001–81000	90001–91000
51001–52000	61001–62000	71001–72000	81001–82000	91001–92000
52001–53000	62001–63000	72001–73000	82001–83000	92001–93000
53001–54000	63001–64000	73001–74000	83001–84000	93001–94000
54001–55000	64001–65000	74001–75000	84001–85000	94001–95000
55001–56000	65001–66000	75001–76000	85001–86000	95001–96000
56001–57000	66001–67000	76001–77000	86001–87000	96001–97000
57001–58000	67001–68000	77001–78000	87001–88000	97001–98000
58001–59000	68001–69000	78001–79000	88001–89000	98001–99000
59001–60000	69001–70000	79001–80000	89001–90000	99001–100000
100001–101000	110001–111000	120001–121000	130001–131000	140001–141000
101001–102000	111001–112000	121001–122000	131001–132000	141001–142000
102001–103000	112001–113000	122001–123000	132001–133000	142001–143000
103001–104000	113001–114000	123001–124000	133001–134000	143001–144000
104001–105000	114001–115000	124001–125000	134001–135000	144001–145000
105001–106000	115001–116000	125001–126000	135001–136000	145001–146000
106001–107000	116001–117000	126001–127000	136001–137000	146001–147000
107001–108000	117001–118000	127001–128000	137001–138000	147001–148000
108001–109000	118001–119000	128001–129000	138001–139000	148001–149000
109001–110000	119001–120000	129001–130000	139001–140000	149001–150000
150001–151000	160001–161000	170001–171000	180001–181000	190001–191000
151001–152000	161001–162000	171001–172000	181001–182000	191001–192000
152001–153000	162001–163000	172001–173000	182001–183000	192001–193000
153001–154000	163001–164000	173001–174000	183001–184000	193001–194000
154001–155000	164001–165000	174001–175000	184001–185000	194001–195000
155001–156000	165001–166000	175001–176000	185001–186000	195001–196000
156001–157000	166001–167000	176001–177000	186001–187000	196001–197000
157001–158000	167001–168000	177001–178000	187001–188000	197001–198000
158001–159000	168001–169000	178001–179000	188001–189000	198001–199000
159001–160000	169001–170000	179001–180000	189001–190000	199001–200000
200001–201000	210001–211000	220001–221000	230001–231000	240001–241000
201001–202000	211001–212000	221001–222000	231001–232000	241001–242000
202001–203000	212001–213000	222001–223000	232001–233000	242001–243000
203001–204000	213001–214000	223001–224000	233001–234000	243001–244000
204001–205000	214001–215000	224001–225000	234001–235000	244001–245000
205001–206000	215001–216000	225001–226000	235001–236000	245001–246000
206001–207000	216001–217000	226001–227000	236001–237000	246001–247000
207001–208000	217001–218000	227001–228000	237001–238000	247001–248000
208001–209000	218001–219000	228001–229000	238001–239000	248001–249000
209001–210000	219001–220000	229001–230000	239001–240000	249001–250000
250001–251000	260001–261000	270001–271000	280001–281000	290001–291000
251001–252000	261001–262000	271001–272000	281001–282000	291001–292000
252001–253000	262001–263000	272001–273000	282001–283000	292001–293000
253001–254000	263001–264000	273001–274000	283001–284000	293001–294000
254001–255000	264001–265000	274001–275000	284001–285000	294001–295000
255001–256000	265001–266000	275001–276000	285001–286000	295001–296000
256001–257000	266001–267000	276001–277000	286001–287000	296001–297000
257001–258000	267001–268000	277001–278000	287001–288000	297001–298000
258001–259000	268001–269000	278001–279000	288001–289000	298001–299000
259001–260000	269001–270000	279001–280000	289001–290000	299001–300000
300001–301000	310001–311000	320001–321000	330001–331000	340001–341000
301001–302000	311001–312000	321001–322000	331001–332000	341001–342000
302001–303000	312001–313000	322001–323000	332001–333000	342001–343000
303001–304000	313001–314000	323001–324000	333001–334000	343001–344000
304001–305000	314001–315000	324001–325000	334001–335000	344001–345000
305001–306000	315001–316000	325001–326000	335001–336000	345001–346000
306001–307000	316001–317000	326001–327000	336001–337000	346001–347000
307001–308000	317001–318000	327001–328000	337001–338000	347001–348000
308001–309000	318001–319000	328001–329000	338001–339000	348001–349000
309001–310000	319001–320000	329001–330000	339001–340000	349001–350000
350001–351000	360001–361000	370001–371000	380001–381000	390001–391000
351001–352000	361001–362000	371001–372000	381001–382000	391001–392000
352001–303000	362001–363000	372001–373000	382001–383000	392001–393000
353001–354000	363001–364000	373001–374000	383001–384000	393001–394000
354001–355000	364001–365000	374001–375000	384001–385000	394001–395000
355001–356000	365001–366000	375001–376000	385001–386000	395001–396000
356001–357000	366001–367000	376001–377000	386001–387000	396001–397000
357001–358000	367001–368000	377001–378000	387001–388000	397001–398000
358001–359000	368001–369000	378001–379000	388001–389000	398001–399000
359001–360000	369001–370000	379001–380000	389001–390000	399001–400000
400001–401000	410001–411000	420001–421000	430001–431000	440001–441000
401001–402000	411001–412000	421001–422000	431001–432000	441001–442000
402001–403000	412001–413000	422001–423000	432001–433000	442001–443000
403001–404000	413001–414000	423001–424000	433001–434000	443001–444000
404001–405000	414001–415000	424001–425000	434001–435000	444001–445000
405001–406000	415001–416000	425001–426000	435001–436000	445001–446000
406001–407000	416001–417000	426001–427000	436001–437000	446001–447000
407001–408000	417001–418000	427001–428000	437001–438000	447001–448000
408001–409000	418001–419000	428001–429000	438001–439000	448001–449000
409001–410000	419001–420000	429001–430000	439001–440000	449001–450000
450001–451000	460001–461000	470001–471000	480001–481000	480001–491000
451001–452000	461001–462000	471001–472000	481001–482000	491001–492000
452001–453000	462001–463000	472001–473000	482001–483000	492001–493000
453001–454000	463001–464000	473001–474000	483001–484000	493001–494000
454001–455000	464001–465000	474001–475000	484001–485000	494001–495000
455001–456000	465001–466000	475001–476000	485001–486000	495001–496000
456001–457000	466001–467000	476001–477000	486001–487000	496001–497000
457001–458000	467001–468000	477001–478000	487001–488000	497001–498000
458001–459000	468001–469000	478001–479000	488001–489000	498001–499000
459001–460000	469001–470000	479001–480000	489001–490000	499001–500000

See also

• List of comets
• List of Solar System bodies formerly regarded as planets
• List of trans-Neptunian objects
• Meanings of minor planet names
• Minor planet (for links to articles on particular groups and families, some of which have lists)
• Minor Planet Center
• Minor-planet moon (includes list)
• Pronunciation of asteroid names

By criteria

• List of instrument-resolved minor planets
• List of minor planets named after people
• List of minor planets named after places
• List of notable asteroids

References

• MPC Archive Statistics (amount of observations, orbits and names)
• MPC Discovery Circumstances (minor planets by number)

Further reading

• Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, 5th ed.: Prepared on Behalf of Commission 20 Under the Auspices of the International Astronomical Union, Lutz D. Schmadel, ISBN 3-540-00238-3
• The Names of the Minor Planets, Paul Herget, 1968, OCLC 224288991

External links

• Discovery Circumstances Numbered Minor Planets
• Lists and plots: Minor Planets
• NASA Near Earth Object Program
• PDS Asteroid Data Archive
• SBN Small Bodies Data Archive
• JPL Minor Planet Database for physical and orbital data (of any Small Solar System Body or dwarf planet)