Planetoid vs. Planet — What's the Difference?

A celestial body orbiting the sun, smaller than a planet and not a comet.

A major celestial object in space that is not a star, but shines by reflected light.

An object in space that is too small to be classified as a planet.

An object in the solar system or any other stellar system that meets the criteria set by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

A small, planet-like celestial body in the solar system, primarily found in the asteroid belt.

A world or celestial body capable of supporting life as we know it.

A minor planet or asteroid, differing from comets by lacking a coma or tail.

The term used to describe the eight major bodies orbiting the sun, including Earth.

A term sometimes used interchangeably with asteroid, though it may also refer to larger objects.

A celestial body orbiting a star, spherical due to its own gravity, and has cleared its orbit of other debris.

See asteroid.

A planet is an astronomical body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and – according to the International Astronomical Union but not all planetary scientists – has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, astrology, science, mythology, and religion. Apart from Earth itself, five planets in the Solar System are often visible to the naked eye.

(astronomy) An asteroid of any size

A celestial body moving in an elliptical orbit round a star.

(astronomy) An asteroid-like body in an orbit beyond the asteroid belt, such as a centaur or Kuiper belt object

In the traditional model of solar systems, a celestial body larger than an asteroid or comet, illuminated by light from a star, such as the sun, around which it revolves.

(astronomy) A larger, planetary, body in orbit around the Sun, such as Vesta or (candidate) dwarf planets such Eris or Sedna

A celestial body that orbits the sun, has sufficient mass to assume nearly a round shape, clears out dust and debris from the neighborhood around its orbit, and is not a satellite of another planet.

(astronomy) A dwarf planet

One of the seven celestial bodies, Mercury, Venus, the moon, the sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, visible to the naked eye and thought by ancient astronomers to revolve in the heavens about a fixed Earth and among fixed stars.

A body resembling a planet; an asteroid.

The collection of life forms supported on Earth

Any of numerous small celestial bodies composed of rock and metal that move around the sun (mainly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter)

People as a whole; humankind or the general public

One of the seven revolving astrological celestial bodies that in conjunction with the stars are believed to influence human affairs and personalities.

Each of the seven major bodies which move relative to the fixed stars in the night sky—the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

(astronomy) A body which is massive enough to be in hydrostatic equilibrium (generally resulting in being an ellipsoid) but not enough to attain nuclear fusion and, in IAU usage, which directly orbits a star (or star cluster) and dominates the region of its orbit; specifically, in the case of the Solar system, the eight major bodies of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

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A celestial body which revolves about the sun in an orbit of a moderate degree of eccentricity. It is distinguished from a comet by the absence of a coma, and by having a less eccentric orbit. See Solar system.

A star, as influencing the fate of a men.

Any of the celestial bodies (other than comets or satellites) that revolve around the sun in the solar system

A person who follows or serves another

While many are located in the asteroid belt, planetoids can also be found throughout the solar system, including near-Earth objects.

Ceres is the largest known planetoid in our solar system, located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

It is rare, but some large planetoids can have their own moons or be part of a binary system with another small body.

Unlike stars, which produce light through nuclear fusion, planets do not generate light but may reflect the light of their star.

Due to their small size and lack of significant atmosphere, planetoids are not known to support life.

A planetoid is a small, planet-like celestial body, often found in the asteroid belt, smaller than planets.

Dwarf planets are celestial bodies that orbit the sun and are spherical but have not cleared their orbital zones of other debris.

Planetoids are smaller, often irregularly shaped, and found primarily in asteroid belts, while planets are large, spherical, and orbit stars.

Yes, exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system, are considered planets if they orbit a star and meet certain criteria.

There are eight recognized planets in our solar system.

Yes, many planets, including Earth, have significant atmospheres, which are critical for climate and potentially for supporting life.

Planets are formed from the accretion of dust and gas in a protoplanetary disk orbiting a young star.

Pluto was reclassified due to its inability to clear its orbit of other debris, a criterion set by the IAU for planet status.

The study of planetoids provides valuable insights into the early solar system's composition and history.

Yes, several planetoids, including Ceres and Vesta in the asteroid belt, have been visited and studied by spacecraft missions.