Minor planets in our solar system, including dwarf planets.

Entity["MinorPlanet",name] or

represents an entity of type "MinorPlanet".

[prop]

gives the value of a specified property.

[{propi,}]

gives the value of a list of properties.

[prop,{qualivali,}]

gives the value of a specified property modified by qualifier rules quali->vali.

[Dated[prop,date]]

gives the value of a property associated with a particular date specification.

EntityClass["MinorPlanet",{propispeci,}]

represents a class of entities with values of propi defined by speci.

Sample Entities

Sample Entity Classes

Properties

  • AbsoluteMagnitudeHabsolute magnitude H
    Ageage
    Albedoalbedo
    AlphanumericNamealphanumeric name
    AlternateNamesalternate names
    Altitudealtitude
    AltitudeMaximumnext maximum altitude
    AltitudeTransitnext transit altitude
    AngularDiameterFromEarthangular diameter
    AngularRadiusFromEarthangular radius
    Aphelionlargest distance from the Sun
    Apoapsislargest distance from Sun
    ApoapsisTimenext apoapsis time
    ApoapsisTimeLastlast apoapsis time
    ApparentAltitudeapparent altitude
    ApparentMagnitudeapparent magnitude
    AscendingNodeLongitudelongitude of ascending node Ω
    AtmosphericPressureatmospheric pressure
    AtmosphericScaleHeightatmospheric scale height
    AverageDistanceFromEarthaverage distance from Earth
    AverageOrbitalCentripetalForceaverage orbital centripetal force
    AverageOrbitDistanceaverage orbit distance
    AverageOrbitVelocityaverage orbit velocity
    AverageTemperatureaverage temperature
    AverageVelocityAroundSunaverage heliocentric velocity
    Azimuthazimuth
    AzimuthRiseazimuth at rise
    AzimuthSetazimuth at set
    BondAlbedobond albedo
    BooleanRiseabove the horizon
    Classesclasses
    Colorcolor
    Constellationconstellation
    CylindricalEquidistantTexturecylindrical equidistant texture
    DailyTimeAboveHorizondaily time above horizon
    Declinationdeclination
    Densitymean density
    Diameteraverage diameter
    Dimensionsdimensions
    Discoverersdiscoverers
    DiscoveryDatediscovery date
    DistanceFromEarthdistance from Earth
    DistanceFromSundistance from Sun
    EarthMOIDEarth minimum orbit intersection distance
    EccentricAnomalyeccentric anomaly
    Eccentricityorbital eccentricity
    EffectiveTemperatureeffective temperature
    EntityClassesentity classes
    EntityTypeListentity type list
    EquatorialAngularVelocityequatorial angular velocity
    EquatorialDiameterequatorial diameter
    EquatorialFrequencyequatorial frequency
    EquatorialRadiusequatorial radius
    EscapeVelocityescape velocity
    FarthestPlanetfarthest planet
    GalacticLatitudegalactic latitude
    GalacticLongitudegalactic longitude
    GeocentricEclipticLatitudegeocentric ecliptic latitude
    GeocentricEclipticLongitudegeocentric ecliptic longitude
    Glyphastrological symbol
    GravitationalConstantMassProductgravitational constant mass product
    Gravitygravity
    GreenwichHourAngleGreenwich hour angle
    HeliocentricEclipticLatitudeheliocentric ecliptic latitude
    HeliocentricEclipticLongitudeheliocentric ecliptic longitude
    HelioCoordinatesheliocentric XYZ coordinates
    HelioVelocityVectorheliocentric velocity vector
    HillRadiusHill radius
    IAUNameIAU name
    IAUNumberIAU number
    Imageimage
    Inclinationorbital inclination
    LocalHourAnglelocal hour angle
    MajorAxisorbital major axis
    Massmass
    MaximalAltitudeTimenext maximum altitude time
    MaximumOrbitalCentripetalForcemaximum orbital centripetal force
    MaximumTemperaturemaximum temperature
    MeanAnomalymean anomaly
    MeanMotionmean motion
    MinimumApparentMagnitudeapparent magnitude when brightest
    MinimumOrbitalCentripetalForceminimum orbital centripetal force
    MinimumTemperatureminimum temperature
    MinorAxisorbital minor axis
    MomentOfInertiarotational moment of inertia
    MoonCountnumber of moons
    NAIFIdentifierNAIF identifier
    Namename
    NearestPlanetnearest planet
    NorthPoleDeclinationnorth pole declination
    NorthPoleRightAscensionnorth pole right ascension
    ObjectTypeobject type
    Oblatenessoblateness
    Obliquityobliquity
    OppositionTimeLastlast opposition time
    OppositionTimeNearestnearest opposition time
    OppositionTimeNextnext opposition time
    OrbitalAngularMomentumorbital angular momentum
    OrbitalCentripetalForceorbital centripetal force
    OrbitalKineticEnergyorbital kinetic energy
    OrbitalMomentOfInertiaorbital moment of inertia
    OrbitCenterorbit center
    OrbitCircumferenceorbit circumference
    OrbitPathorbit path
    OrbitPeriodorbital period
    OrbitRulesorbit rules
    Periapsissmallest distance from Sun
    PeriapsisArgumentargument of periapsis ω
    PeriapsisLongitudelongitude of periapsis ϖ
    PeriapsisTimenext periapsis time
    PeriapsisTimeLastlast periapsis time
    Perihelionnearest distance from the Sun
    PolarDiameterpolar diameter
    PolarRadiuspolar radius
    ProvisionalDesignationprovisional designation
    Radiusaverage radius
    RetrogradeApparentMotionQueryapparent direction
    RightAscensionright ascension
    RiseTimenext rise
    RocheLimitRoche limit
    RotationalAngularMomentumrotational angular momentum
    RotationPeriodrotation period
    Satellitesknown satellites
    SemimajorAxisorbital semimajor axis
    SemiminorAxisorbital semiminor axis
    SetTimenext set
    Shapeshape
    SiderealHourAnglesidereal hour angle
    SlopeParameterslope parameter
    SMASSSpectralTypeSMASS spectral type
    SolarConjunctionTimeLastlast solar conjunction time
    SolarConjunctionTimeNearestnearest solar conjunction time
    SolarConjunctionTimeNextnext solar conjunction time
    SolarDaysolar day
    SphereOfInfluenceRadiussphere of influence radius
    StationaryOrbitRadiusstationary orbit radius
    StationaryOrbitSpeedstationary orbit speed
    SunElongationelongation from the Sun
    SurfaceAreasurface area
    TexturedSurface3D graphic
    TholenSpectralTypeTholen spectral type
    TransitTimenext transit time
    TrueAnomalytrue anomaly
    VelocityAroundSuninstantaneous heliocentric velocity
    Volumevolume
    ZenithAnglezenith angle

Details

  • "MinorPlanet" entities include a subset of the minor planets that have been issued an official number by the International Astronomical Union.
  • "MinorPlanet" entity classes primarily include groups based on orbit location, but also groups based on definition, such as "dwarf planets".
  • Some properties are available for the "MinorPlanet" entity type as a whole and can be given using the form EntityValue["MinorPlanet",property]. Such properties include:
  • "Properties"the list of available properties
    "PropertyCanonicalNames"the standard names of available properties
    "SampleEntities"a sample list of available entities (typically of length 10)
    "SampleEntityClasses"a sample list of available entity classes (typically of length 10)
    "EntityCount"number of entities available
    "Entities"the list of available entities
    "EntityCanonicalNames"the standard names of available entities
    "EntityClasses"the list of available entity classes
    "EntityClassCanonicalNames"the standard names of available entity classes
    "PropertyClasses"the list of available property classes
    "PropertyClassCanonicalNames"the standard names of available property classes
    "PropertyCount"number of properties available
  • The following annotations can be used in the third argument of EntityValue["MinorPlanet",property,annotation]:
  • "Source"source information for the property
    "Date"the date associated with the entity-property value (if any)
    "EntityAssociation"an association of entities and entity-property values
    "PropertyAssociation"an association of properties and entity-property values
    "EntityPropertyAssociation"an association in which the specified entities are keys, and values are a nested association of properties and entity-property values
    "PropertyEntityAssociation"an association in which the specified properties are keys, and values are a nested association of entities and entity-property values
    "Dataset"a dataset in which the specified entities are keys, and values are an association of property names and entity-property values
  • The following annotations can be used in the second argument of EntityValue[property,annotation]:
  • "Qualifiers"the list of possible qualifiers for the property
    "QualifierValues"the list of possible values that can be given to each qualifier
    "DefaultQualifierValues"the list of default values for the property's qualifiers
    "Description"a brief textual description of the property
    "Definition"a detailed textual definition of the property
    "PhysicalQuantity"the physical quantity associated with the entity-property value
    "Unit"the unit associated with the entity-property value
  • A qualifier value of Automatic indicates that an applicable format of values can be used; e.g. for the "Date" qualifier, this includes a proper date or date span.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (6)

Use for discovery:

Find the orbit period of a minor planet:

Get a list of classes of minor planets:

Find the minor planets in a given class:

Retrieve a dataset of all available properties for an entity:

Find the three most massive minor planets:

Scope  (4)

Implicit Entity Classes  (1)

The Hilda group of minor planets has orbital periods that are approximately 2/3 of Jupiter's. Adding a bit of uncertainty to this value and plotting their positions with respect to Jupiter and the Sun shows they are found along a nearly triangular region:

Property Classes  (1)

Represent equatorial coordinate properties associated with minor planets:

Get a list of available property classes for minor planets:

Find the list of properties included in a property class:

Obtain the property values for the properties in a property class for an entity:

Qualifiers  (2)

Some properties accept qualifiers:

The "Location" qualifier, which specifies the location of the observer, can accept an explicit GeoPosition, location-based Entity objects or queries that evaluate to one of these:

Dates  (1)

Date qualifiers can accept an explicit DateObject or queries that evaluate to a DateObject:

Date qualifiers can also be specified using Dated:

Applications  (1)

Query for the orbital semimajor axis for asteroids in the asteroid belt:

The Kirkwood gaps are the result of orbital resonances with Jupiter:

Possible Issues  (1)

Pluto is not included in the list of solar system planets:

It is now considered a "dwarf planet":

Neat Examples  (4)

Create a histogram of the distances of Apollo asteroids from the Sun:

Plot orbit period versus orbit semimajor axis for a group of minor planets:

Plot the orbit and position of minor planet 'Oumuamua on a given date with respect to the inner planets:

Plot the orbits of classes of minor planets: