planetoid

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   An asteroid of any size

   • The group of small bodies that circle round the Sun, outside the orbit of Mars, are known under the designation of the planetoids.
   • Numbering of the Planetoids or Asteroidal Planets.—In numbering the planetoids a difficulty has arisen [...]
2. 2

   An asteroid-like body in an orbit beyond the asteroid belt, such as a centaur or Kuiper…

   An asteroid-like body in an orbit beyond the asteroid belt, such as a centaur or Kuiper belt object

3. 3

   A larger, planetary, body in orbit around the Sun, such as Vesta or (candidate) dwarf…

   A larger, planetary, body in orbit around the Sun, such as Vesta or (candidate) dwarf planets such Eris or Sedna

   • After discovering "planetoids", bodies orbiting the Sun, even larger than Pluto's moon Charon ... the question of how Sedna and other planetoids came to be.
   • Eris [...] was the upstart planetoid that knocked Pluto off the planetary lists
4. ›+ 2 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      Any planetary body, including classical planets and moons

      Any planetary body, including classical planets and moons: a planetary-mass object

   2. 5

      A dwarf planet

      • We prefer the word "planetoid" as a new word to describe round objects orbiting the sun.
      • A dwarf planet or a planetoid is a celestial body that [...]
      • 'Dwarf planet' is a dumb phrase. For years we've called things like Pluto and Xena 'planetoids'—planetlike.

The neighborhood

• neighbordwarf planet
• neighbormicroplanetoid
• neighborminor planet
• neighborplanemo
• neighborplanetesimal