List of minor planets
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This is a list of numbered minor planets in the solar system, in numerical order.
As of August 2010[ref] there are 249,567 numbered minor planets, and about as many yet unnumbered. Most are not particularly noteworthy; only some 16,000 minor planets have been given names (the first nameless minor planet being number 3708).
For a short list of notable asteroids, see list of notable asteroids, and for notable minor planets beyond Neptune's orbit, see trans-Neptunian object and list of plutoid candidates.
Five minor planets have been classified as dwarf planets and at least four more are likely to achieve this classification.
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Numbering and naming conventions
After discovery, asteroids generally receive a provisional designation (such as "1989 AC"), then a 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 its orbit is precisely known. 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 were subsequently "lost". 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 asteroid 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 | |||
| 201001–202000 | 211001–212000 | |||
| 202001–203000 | 212001–213000 | |||
| 203001–204000 | 213001–214000 | |||
| 204001–205000 | ||||
| 205001–206000 | ||||
| 206001–207000 | ||||
| 207001–208000 | ||||
| 208001–209000 | ||||
| 209001–210000 | ||||
Books
- 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
See also
- Minor planet moon (includes list)
- List of minor planets named after people
- List of minor planets named after places
- 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
- Pronunciation of asteroid names
References
- MPC Archive Statistics (observations, orbits and names)
- MPC Discovery Circumstances (minor planets by number)
External links
- 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)
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