Extrasolar object
Any astronomical object that exists outside the Solar System
An extrasolar object (from Latin extra 'outside or beyond' and solaris 'of the Sun') is an astronomical object that exists outside the Solar System. It is not applied to stars, or any other celestial object that is larger than a star or the Solar System, such as a galaxy. The terms for extrasolar examples of Solar System bodies are:
- Extrasolar planet, also called an "exoplanet"
- Extrasolar moon, also called an "exomoon"
- Exocomet, an extrasolar comet
- Exoasteroid, an extrasolar asteroid
Some Solar System object classes, such as minor planets, dwarf planets and Trans-Neptunian object equivalents have not been detected outside the Solar System. Several exocomets have passed near or through the solar system, and are called interstellar interlopers.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Extrasolar object”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- NASA-Exoplanet-WaterWorlds-20180817.jpg by NASA, Public domain
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