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List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System

List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System rather than just read about it. In short: This is a list of most likely gravitationally rounded objects (GRO) of the Solar System, which are objects that have a rounded, ellipsoidal shape due to their own gravity (but are not necessarily in hydrostatic equilibrium). Apart from the Sun itself, these objects qualify as planets according to common geophysical definitions of that term.

List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System — main illustration
List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System — illustration

Key takeaways

  • List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

This is a list of most likely gravitationally rounded objects (GRO) of the Solar System, which are objects that have a rounded, ellipsoidal shape due to their own gravity (but are not necessarily in hydrostatic equilibrium). Apart from the Sun itself, these objects qualify as planets according to common geophysical definitions of that term. The radii of these objects range over three orders of magnitude, from planetary-mass objects like dwarf planets and some moons to the planets and the Sun. This list does not include small Solar System bodies, but it does include a sample of possible planetary-mass objects whose shapes have yet to be determined. The Sun's orbital characteristics are listed in relation to the Galactic Center, while all other objects are listed in order of their distance from the Sun.

Star

The Sun is a G-type main-sequence star. It contains almost 99.9% of all the mass in the Solar System.

Planets

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) defined a planet as a body in orbit around the Sun that was large enough to have achieved hydrostatic equilibrium and to have "cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit". The practical meaning of "cleared the neighborhood" is that a planet is comparatively massive enough for its gravitation to control the orbits of all objects in its vicinity. In practice, the term "hydrostatic equilibrium" is interpreted more loosely as a requirement for rounding by gravity. Mercury is round but not actually in hydrostatic equilibrium; it is universally regarded as a planet nonetheless. According to the IAU's explicit count, there are eight planets in the Solar System; four terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) and four giant planets, which can be divided further into two gas giants (Jupiter and Saturn) and two ice giants (Uranus and Neptune). When excluding the Sun, the four giant planets account for more than 99% of the mass of the Solar System.

Dwarf planets

Dwarf planets are bodies orbiting the Sun that are massive and warm enough to have achieved hydrostatic equilibrium, but have not cleared their neighbourhoods of similar objects. Since 2008, there have been five dwarf planets recognized by the IAU, although only Pluto has actually been confirmed to be in hydrostatic equilibrium (Ceres is close to equilibrium, though some anomalies remain unexplained). Ceres orbits in the asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter. The others all orbit beyond Neptune.

Astronomers usually refer to solid bodies such as Ceres as dwarf planets, even if they are not strictly in hydrostatic equilibrium. They generally agree that several other trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) may be large enough to be dwarf planets, given current uncertainties. However, there has been disagreement on the required size. Early speculations were based on the small moons of the giant planets, which attain roundness around a threshold of 200 km radius. However, these moons are at higher temperatures than TNOs and are icier than TNOs are likely to be. Estimates from an IAU question-and-answer press release from 2006, giving 800 km radius and 0.5×1021 kg mass as cut-offs that normally would be enough for hydrostatic equilibrium, while stating that observation would be needed to determine the status of borderline cases. Many TNOs in the 200–500 km radius range are dark and low-density bodies, which suggests that they retain internal porosity from their formation, and hence are not planetary bodies (as planetary bodies have sufficient gravitation to collapse out such porosity). In 2023, Emery et al. wrote that near-infrared spectroscopy by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in 2022 suggests that Sedna, Gonggong, and Quaoar underwent internal melting, differentiation, and chemical evolution, like the larger dwarf planets Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake, but unlike "all smaller KBOs". This is because light hydrocarbons are present on their surfaces (e.g. ethane, acetylene, and ethylene), which implies that methane is continuously being resupplied, and that methane would likely come from internal geochemistry. On the other hand, the surfaces of Sedna, Gonggong, and Quaoar have low abundances of CO and CO2, similar to Pluto, Eris, and Makemake, but in contrast to smaller bodies. This suggests that the threshold for dwarf planethood in the trans-Neptunian region is around 500 km radius. In 2024, Kiss et al. found that Quaoar has an ellipsoidal shape incompatible with hydrostatic equilibrium for its current spin. They hypothesised that Quaoar originally had a rapid rotation and was in hydrostatic equilibrium, but that its shape became "frozen in" and did not change as it spun down due to tidal forces from its moon Weywot. If so, this would resemble the situation of Saturn's moon Iapetus, which is too oblate for its current spin. Iapetus is generally still considered a planetary-mass moon nonetheless, though not always. The table below gives Orcus, Quaoar, Gonggong, and Sedna as additional consensus dwarf planets. Slightly smaller Salacia, which is larger than 400 km radius is not often given as a confident dwarf planet candidate, therefore has not been included.

As for objects in the asteroid belt, none are generally agreed as dwarf planets today among astronomers other than Ceres. The second- through fifth-largest asteroids have been discussed as candidates. Vesta (radius 262.7±0.1 km), the second-largest asteroid, appears to have a differentiated interior and therefore likely was once a dwarf planet, but it is no longer very round today. Pallas (radius 255.5±2 km), the third-largest asteroid, appears never to have completed differentiation and likewise has an irregular shape. Vesta and Pallas are nonetheless sometimes considered small terrestrial planets anyway by sources preferring a geophysical definition, because they do share similarities to the rocky planets of the inner solar system. The fourth-largest asteroid, Hygiea (radius 216.5±4 km), is icy. The question remains open if it is currently in hydrostatic equilibrium: while Hygiea is round today, it was probably previously catastrophically disrupted and today might be just a gravitational aggregate of the pieces. The fifth-largest asteroid, Interamnia (radius 166±3 km), is icy and has a shape consistent with hydrostatic equilibrium for a slightly shorter rotation period than it now has.

Satellites

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System illustration
List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System illustration
List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System illustration
List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System illustration
List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System illustration

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System

In research
List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Lists of Solar System objects, Planetary-mass objects, Solar System, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System in simple terms?

This is a list of most likely gravitationally rounded objects (GRO) of the Solar System, which are objects that have a rounded, ellipsoidal shape due to their own gravity (but are not necessarily in hydrostatic equilibrium). Apart from the Sun itself, these objects qualify as planets according to c…

Why does List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System.

Tags

  • Lists of Solar System objects
  • Planetary-mass objects
  • Solar System

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