Cis-Neptunian object

A cis-Neptunian object is, literally, any astronomical body found within the orbit of Neptune.[1] However, the term is typically used for those distant minor planets other than trans-Neptunian objects: that is, all sub-planetary bodies orbiting the Sun at or within the distance of Neptune, but outside the orbit of Jupiter. This includes the icy minor planets known as centaurs[2] and the Neptune trojans.[3][lower-alpha 1]

Centaurs orbit the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune, often crossing the orbits of the large gas giants. There is an emerging sense[2] that the centaurs may simply be objects similar to scattered-disc objects that were knocked inwards from the Kuiper belt rather than outwards, making them cis-Neptunian rather than trans-Neptunian scattered-disc objects.

Notes

  1. ↑ These are 2001 QR322, 2004 UP10, 2005 TN53, 2005 TO74, 2006 RJ103, 2007 VL305, 2008 LC18, and 2004 KV18.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Remo, John L. (2007). Classifying Solid Planetary Bodies. New trends in astrodynamics and applications III. AIP Conference Proceedings, Volume 886, pp. 284-302.
  2. 1 2 J Horner; NW Evans; ME Bailey; DJ Asher (2003). "The Populations of Comet-like Bodies in the Solar System" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-06-29.
  3. 1 2 "List Of Neptune Trojans". Minor Planet Center. Archived from the original on 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
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