Minor Planets Collection

Chiron passing near Saturn. Chiron is a weird cross between an asteroid and comet, which are known as centaurs

Dwarf planets Ceres, Pluto, and Eris
In this image, from left to right, are the dwarf planets Ceres, Pluto, and Eris. Eris was discovered in 2003 and is now the largest of the known dwarf planets

Artists concept of the Dawn spacecraft entering orbit around Ceres
Artists concept of the Dawn spacecraft entering orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres. In late November 2015 Dawn will descend to its closest orbit around Ceres at a distance of about 230 miles

Pluton, its big moon Charon and the Polaris star

An artists impression of a one-half-mile-diameter Kuiper Belt Object
This is an artists impression of a one-half-mile-diameter Kuiper Belt Object that was detected by the Hubble Space Telescope

Orbits of Earth-Crossing Asteroids
A diagram of the asteroid belt with Earth-crossing asteroids labeled

Artists concept of humans exploring the surface of an asteroid

Illustration of Tyche, a hypothetical planet that could exist within the Oort Cloud
Based on new and recent scientific evidence, Tyche is a hypothetical planet that could exist within our solar system far out within the Oort Cloud

Astronauts explore the tumultuous surface of a comet
In the near future, humans will explore the tumultuous surface of a comet

Artists concept of Pluto and its moon Charon
This rendering suggests how Pluto, on the right, might appear from a position high above its equator. Beyond Pluto and to the left is Plutos largest satellite Charon

Deflecting Path of an Earth-Crossing Asteroid
Asteroids on a collision course with the Earth may be deflected from their path by attaching propulsion units to them

An illustration of Makemake, a plutoid located in a region beyond Neptune
This illustration shows Makemake, a plutoid located in a region beyond Neptune that is populated with small Solar System bodies (often referred to as the transneptunian region)

A green planet surrounded by several larger and smaller moons

Galileo spacecraft discovering asteroid 243 Ida and its moon, Dactyl
Galileo spacecraft discovering the first asteroid moon, Dactyl, orbiting the asteroid 243 Ida in the universe. It was the first time a moon was discovered orbiting an asteroid

Orion module orbiting an asteroid

A diagram illustrating the extent of the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud

Artists concept of an asteroid field against a celestial background
Asteroid field with orbits hot and starry/nebula background Artists concept of an asteroid field against a celestial background

Mining colony on an asteroid

Comet Tempel 1
The Stardust-NExT mission took this image of comet Tempel 1 on February 14, 2011. The comet was first visited by NASAs Deep Impact mission in 2005

Artists concept of the Dawn spacecraft as it approaches an encounter with Ceres
An artists depiction of the Dawn spacecraft as it approaches an encounter with Ceres. The satellite will investigate the two bright spots on the surface of the dwarf planet

Asteroid 243 Ida
This view of the asteroid 243 Ida is a mosaic of five image frames acquired by the Galileo spacecraft. Ida is the second asteroid ever encountered by a spacecraft

Quaoar is a large Kuiper Belt Object orbiting beyond Pluto

Artists concept of the trojan asteroid Hektor
The asteroid Hektor may have been formed when two asteroids collided. The result was a bi-lobed body resembling a peanut. This view looks across the valley separating the lobes

Uranus and most of its nine major rings along with the distant Sun and an inner satellite
Most of the nine major rings of Uranus can be seen in this back-lit painting of Uranus. At far right the distant sun can be seen

Artists concept of the atmosphere on Pluto
Despite its small size and extreme distance from the Sun, Pluto does have an atmosphere. The atmosphere arises because there are periods when Pluto is closer to the Sun than Neptune

This illustration shows a group of asteroids and their orbits around the sun, compared to the planets. Unlike the orbits, the planets are not to scale

Artists concept of the Earth, Pluto, Charon, and Earths moon to scale (from left to right). Pluto has a diameter that is less than a fifth of the Earths and is smaller than Earths moon

Artists concept of the dwarf planet Ceres in the main asteroid belt
Artists concept of the dwarf planet Ceres. In this image the artist is suggesting that Ceres, like all small bodies in the Solar System, is a rather sterile

Asteroid Lander departs surface of a large asteroid
The ascent stage of a manned Asteroid Lander departs the surface of a large asteroid leaving behind the descent stage in a cloud of fine regolith dust

Asteroid mining outpost
A massive manned mining outpost is built around a rocky near-Earth asteroid about 300 million miles from Earth. In the foreground are arrays of solar photovoltaic panels similar to those currently

Artists concept of Pluto. In 1985 it was discovered that Pluto has an atmosphere, albeit a very tenuous one. Plutos atmosphere arises only when it approaches closer to the Sun during its highly

The orbit of the binary Kuiper Belt object with the orbits of Pluto and Neptune
This illustration compares the orbit of the binary Kuiper Belt object, called 1998 WW31, with the orbits of Pluto and Neptune, the outermost solar system planets

Artists concept of Dawn spacecraft approaching the dwarf planet Ceres
In this image, the Dawn spacecrafts three xenon electrostatic ion thrusters can be seen emitting ionized xenons characteristic blue/magenta glow

An abandoned planet about to get hit by a gigantic asteroid
Artists concept of an abandoned planet about to get hit by a gigantic asteroid

Solar system, 1893
Solar system. Diagram of the solar system, based on the astronomical knowledge at the end of the 19th century. The Sun is at centre

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"Exploring the Vast Universe: Unveiling the Mysteries of Minor Planets" Chiron passing near Saturn: Witness the celestial dance as Chiron, a minor planet, gracefully glides past majestic Saturn. A giant asteroid collides with planet Earth: Brace yourself for an epic collision between a colossal asteroid and our beloved home, Earth. The forces of nature at their most awe-inspiring. Artists concept of the Dawn spacecraft entering orbit around Ceres: Embark on a thrilling journey through space as the Dawn spacecraft gracefully enters orbit around Ceres, one of our solar system's intriguing minor planets. Pluton, its big moon Charon and the Polaris star: Marvel at this cosmic trio - Pluton, accompanied by its loyal companion Charon and framed against the backdrop of Polaris star - creating an ethereal spectacle in our night sky. The primordial Earth being formed by asteroid-like bodies: Delve into the origins of our precious blue planet as it takes shape amidst a chaotic symphony orchestrated by asteroid-like bodies during its primordial days. An artist's impression of a one-half-mile-diameter Kuiper Belt Object: Immerse yourself in this captivating artwork capturing the essence and grandeur of a massive half-mile-wide Kuiper Belt Object lurking within our vast cosmic neighborhood. Orbits of Earth-Crossing Asteroids: Observe with fascination as we map out intricate orbits followed by Earth-crossing asteroids – celestial wanderers that occasionally venture close to our own planetary abode. Artist's concept of humans exploring the surface of an asteroid: Join humanity on an audacious adventure beyond Earth's boundaries as intrepid explorers set foot on an alien landscape –the rugged surface of an enigmatic asteroid awaits. Asteroid mining outpost: Peer into humanity's future where resourceful pioneers establish thriving outposts on asteroids, harnessing their abundant wealth to fuel our ever-growing civilization.