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Small Solar System body

A small Solar System body (SSSB) is an object in the Solar System that is neither a planet, a dwarf planet, nor a natural satellite. The term was first defined in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) as follows: "All other objects, except satellites, orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as 'Small Solar System Bodies'".[1]

"Macroscopic bodies" redirects here. For macroscopic, see macroscopic scale.

This encompasses all comets and all minor planets other than those that are dwarf planets. Thus SSSBs are: the comets; the classical asteroids, with the exception of the dwarf planet Ceres; the trojans; and the centaurs and trans-Neptunian objects, with the exception of the dwarf planets Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris and others that may turn out to be dwarf planets.

Apollo asteroid

Centaur (small Solar System body)

Hungaria asteroids

List of possible dwarf planets

List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System

List of Solar System objects by size

Lists of small Solar System bodies

List of minor planets and comets visited by spacecraft

NASA images and videos about asteroids and comets

Expected Science Return of Spatially-Extended In-Situ Exploration at Small Solar System Bodies