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List of trans-Neptunian objects

Comprehensive list of objects beyond Neptune From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of trans-Neptunian objects
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For unnumbered bodies, see List of unnumbered trans-Neptunian objects.

This is a list of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), which are minor planets in the Solar System that orbit the Sun at a greater distance on average than Neptune, which means all of their orbits have a semi-major axis greater than 30.1 astronomical units (AU). The Kuiper belt, scattered disk, and Oort cloud are three conventional divisions of this volume of space.[1][nb 1] As of October 2025, the catalog of minor planets contains 1,036 numbered TNOs. In addition, there are 4,519 unnumbered TNOs, which have been observed since 1993.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

Quick facts

This list consists of all types of TNO subgroups: classical Kuiper belt objects, also known as "cubewanos", the resonant trans-Neptunian objects with their main and higher-order resonant subgroups, the scattered disc objects (SDOs), and the extreme trans-Neptunian objects including the ESDOs, EDDOs, and sednoids, which have a semi-major axis of at least 150 AU and a perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) greater than that of Neptune.[9] The list also contains several centaurs, if the object's orbit has a sufficiently large semi-major axis (a). Centaurs have unstable orbits in which the perihelion (q) is well inside of Neptune's orbit but the farthest point (aphelion, Q) is very distant.

The first TNO to be discovered was Pluto in 1930. It became the namesake of a larger group of resonant objects called plutinos (another such resonant subgroup are the twotinos). It took more than 60 years to discover a second TNO, Albion (provisionally known as 1992 QB1), in 1992. The largest known trans-Neptunian objects are Pluto and Eris, followed by Haumea, Makemake, Gonggong, Quaoar, Sedna, and Orcus, all of them being officially recognized as dwarf planets by the IAU except for Gonggong, Sedna, and Orcus. There are also many possible dwarf planets, such as Salacia, Máni, Varda, Ixion, and Varuna. Most TNOs have low albedos typically around 0.09. Their color varies from blue-grey to very red (classes BB, BR, IR and RR). The following list also gives an object's full designation, mean-diameter (D), and discovery circumstances (date, discoverer and discovery site), as well as its orbital inclination (i) and eccentricity (e).

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List

See also: List of unnumbered trans-Neptunian objects
See also: List of possible dwarf planets § list
See also: Minor-planet moon § Trans-Neptunian objects

This list includes all numbered trans-Neptunian objects with a semi-major axis greater than 30.1 astronomical units (AU), Neptune's average orbital distance from the Sun. The data is sourced from MPC's "List of Trans Neptunian Objects", "List Of Centaurs and Scattered-Disk Objects", "List of Neptune Trojans", "List Of Other Unusual Objects", and "Database Search", completed with remarks and information from Johnston's Archive (diameter, class, binary, albedo, spectral taxonomy and B–R color index).[3][4][5][6][7][8]

More information Designation, Discovery ...
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Unnumbered TNOs

Main article: List of unnumbered trans-Neptunian objects
See also: List of possible dwarf planets § list

There are 4,519 unnumbered trans-Neptunian objects, defined here as minor planets with a semi-major axis larger than 30.1 AU (Neptune's average orbital distance from the Sun). The data is sourced from MPC's "List of Trans Neptunian Objects", "List Of Centaurs and Scattered-Disk Objects", "List Of Other Unusual Objects", and "Database Search", completed with information from Johnston's Archive (diameter, class, binary status, etc.).[3][4][6][7][8] For the list of numbered TNOs, see § List.

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Trans-Neptunian satellites

Main article: Minor-planet moon § Trans-Neptunian objects

A growing number of TNOs are revealed to be binary systems with a minor-planet moon orbiting its primary. There are also several multiple systems with more than one satellite.

Diagram: orbital classes

Summarize
Perspective
Thumbcold classical: 1,226 (23.0%)hot classical: 1,119 (20.9%)SDOs: 770 (14.4%)plutinos (3∶2 res.): 577 (10.8%)other resonances: 504 (9.4%)centaurs: 314 (5.9%)twotinos (2∶1 res.): 142 (2.7%)damocloids: 85 (1.6%)neptune trojans: 28 (0.5%)EDDOs: 15 (0.3%)ESDOs: 13 (0.2%)haumeids: 12 (0.2%)unusual: 6 (0.1%)sednoids: 3 (0.1%)amors: 3 (0.1%)unclassified TNOs: 525 (9.8%)
  •   cold classical: 1,226 (23.0%)
  •   hot classical: 1,119 (20.9%)
  •   SDOs: 770 (14.4%)
  •   plutinos (3∶2 res.): 577 (10.8%)
  •   other resonances: 504 (9.4%)
  •   centaurs: 314 (5.9%)
  •   twotinos (2∶1 res.): 142 (2.7%)
  •   damocloids: 85 (1.6%)
  •   neptune trojans: 28 (0.5%)
  •   EDDOs: 15 (0.3%)
  •   ESDOs: 13 (0.2%)
  •   haumeids: 12 (0.2%)
  •   unusual: 6 (0.1%)
  •   sednoids: 3 (0.1%)
  •   amors: 3 (0.1%)
  •   unclassified TNOs: 525 (9.8%)
5342 TNOs (a > 30.1 AU) from Johnston's archive grouped by orbital subclasses.[8]

Trans-Neptunian objects colorized by their orbital subclass and plotted in the orbital parameter space (eccentricity and inclination versus semi-major axis). The plot for the entire region contains 1418 objects including plutinos (#185), twotinos (#36), other resonant objects (#124), cubewanos (#420), inner (#40) and outer classical objects (#6), SDOs (#289), sednoids (#11), centaurs (#101) and other TNOs (#206).[8][clarification needed]

Thumb
Thumb
Core region (38–49 AU): inclination (left) and eccentricity (right) vs. semi-major axis (a)
Thumb
Thumb
Full region on a logarithmic scale from 30 to 1000 AU: inclination (left) and eccentricity (right) vs. a
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See also

Notes

  1. [1]
    The treatments vary and a few objects such as Sedna do not fit easily into any division. The literature is inconsistent in the use of the phrases "scattered disc" and "Kuiper belt". For some, they are distinct populations; for others, the scattered disk is part of the Kuiper belt, in which case the low-eccentricity population is called the "classical Kuiper belt". Authors may even switch between these two uses in a single publication.[2] This lists shows all minor planets with a semi-major axis larger than 30.1 AU, irrespective whether they are dynamically categorized as TNOs (resonant and classical), SDOs, centaurs or damocloids
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References

External links

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