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Planet Nine is a hypothetical ninth planet in the outer region of the Solar System. [2] [4] Its gravitational effects could explain the peculiar clustering of orbits for a group of extreme trans-Neptunian objects (ETNOs), bodies beyond Neptune that orbit the Sun at distances averaging more than 250 times that of the Earth i.e. over 250 astronomical units (AU).
Solar System belts are asteroid and comet belts that orbit the Sun in the Solar System in interplanetary space. [1][2] The Solar System belts' size and placement are mostly a result of the Solar System having four giant planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune far from the sun. The giant planets must be in the correct place, not too close ...
Nonetheless, collisions between large asteroids occur and can produce an asteroid family, whose members have similar orbital characteristics and compositions. Individual asteroids within the belt are categorized by their spectra, with most falling into three basic groups: carbonaceous , silicate , and metal-rich .
Below are the descriptions of the three largest bodies in the asteroid belt. They are all considered to be relatively intact protoplanets, a precursor stage before becoming a fully-formed planet (see List of exceptional asteroids): [143] [144] [145] Ceres (2.55–2.98 AU) is the only dwarf planet in the asteroid belt. [146]
For years, the existence of a missing Planet 9 has been one of the predominate theories attempting to explain some of the eccentric orbits found in the outer Solar System. But so far, no such ...
Now, a new theory has emerged that explains away the presence of Planet 9 in favor of something entirely different. Speaking at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society, Jacob Fleisig of the ...
6.33 [2] Angular diameter. 0.23" to 0.071". 9 Metis is one of the larger main-belt asteroids. It is composed of silicates and metallic nickel - iron, and may be the core remnant of a large asteroid that was destroyed by an ancient collision. [9] Metis is estimated to contain just under half a percent of the total mass of the asteroid belt.
2 Pallas. Pallas (minor-planet designation: 2 Pallas) is the third-largest asteroid in the Solar System by volume and mass. It is the second asteroid to have been discovered, after Ceres, and is likely a remnant protoplanet. Like Ceres, it is believed to have a mineral composition similar to carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, though ...