Wikipedia:WikiProject Astronomical objects/Infoboxes small solar system bodies

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[edit] Minor planets (asteroids, comets, Kuiperoids, etc)

{{minor planet}} {{Minor Planet}}

Template:Minor planet
14 Irene
Discovery A
Discoverer John Russell Hind
Discovery date May 19, 1851
Alternate
designations B		 A906 QC;
A913 EA;
1952 TM
Category Main belt
Orbital elements C
Epoch July 14, 2004 (JD 2453200.5)
Eccentricity (e) 0.168
Semi-major axis (a) 386.730 Gm (2.585 AU)
Perihelion (q) 321.602 Gm (2.150 AU)
Aphelion (Q) 451.858 Gm (3.020 AU)
Orbital period (P) 1518.176 d (4.16 a)
Mean orbital speed 18.52 km/s
Inclination (i) 9.106°
Longitude of the
ascending node (Ω)		 86.493°
Argument of
perihelion (ω)		 96.473°
Mean anomaly (M) 326.489°
Physical characteristics D
Dimensions 181.8 km [1]
Mass 6.3×1018 kg
Density 2 ? g/cm³
Surface gravity 0.051 m/s²
Escape velocity 0.096 km/s
Rotation period 0.6275 d [2]
Spectral class S-type asteroid [3]
Absolute magnitude 6.30
Albedo (geometric) 0.160 [4]
Mean surface
temperature		 ~234 K
This box: view • talk • edit

The example on the far right is the recommended table format for minor planets —note the recommended unit links. It is generated by the {{Minor Planet}} template. The template has an optional astron argument whose default value is helion; this allows its use to describe asteroid moons, as in the S/2000 (1998 WW31) 1 example.

Urhixidur wrote a nifty Windows tool that can greatly facilitate preparation of these. The most recent version can be downloaded from http://www.bigfoot.com/~D.U.Thibault (at the bottom of the page, under the heading "Delphi 7 and Wikipedia").

A more compact form of this with just the orbital elements is on the near right {{Minor planet}} (note the lower case 'p'). The two are incompatible at the moment, something which Nicholas intends to fix one day.

A few short-hand templates are useful when dealing with asteroids with provisional designations. They are Template:mp, Template:mpl, and Template:mpl-. Mpl ("minor planet link") is used to write a link, like so {{mpl|(15874) 1996 TL|66}} = (15874) 1996 TL66, whilst mp ("minor planet") saves you from typing <sub></sub> if you'd rather not: {{mp|(15874) 1996 TL|66}} = (15874) 1996 TL66. Mpl- is used with numbered asteroids that have kept (so far) their provisional designations: {{mpl-|15760|1992 QB|1}} = 1992 QB1 instead of (15760) 1992 QB1.

[edit] Footers

Particularly useful are {{MinorPlanets Navigator}} and {{MinorPlanets Footer}}. Scroll down beyond the table to the right to see examples of these.

v • d • e
Minor planets navigator

13 Egeria       ·       14 Irene       ·       15 Eunomia
v • d • e
Small Solar System bodies
Lists: Minor planets · Asteroid groups and families · Binary asteroids · Asteroid moons
See also: Near-Earth object · Dwarf planet · Planet · Solar System · Pronunciation of asteroid names · Meanings of asteroid names.


[edit] Comets

9P/Tempel; Tempel 1

Nucleus imaged by the Deep Impact impactor
Discovery
Discovered by: Ernst Wilhelm Leberecht Tempel
Discovery date: April 3, 1867
Alternate designations: 9P/1867 G1; 1867 II;
9P/1873 G1; 1873 I; 1873a
1879 III; 1879b
9P/1967 L1; 1966 VII
9P/1972 A1; 1972 V; 1972a
1978 II; 1977i
1983 XI; 1982j
1989 I; 1987e1
1994 XIX; 1993c
Orbital characteristics A
Epoch: March 6, 2006
Aphelion distance: 4.737 AU
Perihelion distance: 1.506 AU
Semi-major axis: 3.122 AU
Eccentricity: 0.5175
Orbital period: 5.515 a
Inclination: 10.5301°
Last perihelion: July 5, 2005
Next perihelion: 2011

As discussed above, comets might be served better by a different template. Here is a suggestion for {{Comet}} we can toy with until we are happy with it. Awolf002 00:23, 5 December 2005 (UTC)


Comets
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List of periodic comets