Lists and Plots: Minor Planets

If you use information from any of the lists in the preparation of any publication, please acknowledge the relevant URL and MPC.

Dates of Last Observation

As a convenience for observers, we list the dates of last observation for unusual minor planets.

Unusual Minor Planets

Lists of unusual minor planets (i.e., those whose orbit approaches that of the earth or whose orbit lies in the outer solar system). These lists are available in two forms: sortable table format and plain ASCII.

• Sortable table format:
  • List of Atens
  • List of Apollos
  • List of Amors
  • List of Centaurs and Scattered-Disk Objects
  • List of Transneptunian Objects
  • Other unusual objects
  • PHAs
• Plain ASCII format:
  • List of Atens
  • List of Apollos
  • List of Amors
  • List of Centaurs and Scattered-Disk Objects
  • List of Transneptunian Objects
  • Other unusual objects
  • PHAs
  • List of (comets and) NEO designations assigned in the past year.

Forthcoming Close Approaches to the Earth

A list of close approaches to the earth by comets and near-earth minor planets in the next 33 years.

• Also available is a list of PHA close approaches to the earth through the end of the 21st century.

Closest Approaches to the Earth

A list of the closest approaches to the earth by minor planets.

Trojan Minor Planets

Lists of Trojan minor planets.

Plots of the Solar System

Views (updated daily) of the inner or outer solar system. A similar view of the innermost region of the solar system is also available.

Distribution of the Minor Planets

Plots showing how the orbital elements of the minor planets are distributed.

Correspondences Of Minor Planet Designations

Don't know the name, number or principal designation for a particular unnumbered minor planet (new- or old-style designation)? Use this interactive converter for minor-planet designations. An alphabetical list of names of numbered minor planets is available.

Conversion of Absolute Magnitudes to Diameters

A table converting a minor planet's absolute magnitude to a diameter.

Minor Planet Lightcurve Parameters (2003 Dec. 15)

A list of lightcurve parameters for minor planets.

Discoverers of the Numbered Minor Planets

The numbered minor planets have been discovered by a large number of individuals and teams. Lists of the discovery statistics are available ordered by number of discoveries and alphabetically. Also available is a list of the number of discoveries made at the most prolific discovery sites. Discovery circumstances are also available, as is a breakdown of numbered discoveries by year.

Provisional Designations

Information on the number of new-style provisional designations (and the yearly and half-monthly breakdowns of the total) assigned by the Minor Planet Center (and its predecessors).

Observatory Codes

The list of parallax constants for observatories involved in the astrometric observation of comets and minor planets.

Archive Statistics

Information on the increasing size of the Minor Planet Center's archive.

Suggestions for further lists and plots should be submitted using the user feedback form.