Outer Solar System Orbit Diagrams
Below are diagrams of the outer solar system on
2018 January 1.
A description
of these diagrams is given at the bottom of this page.
These outer solar system diagrams show the positions of
asteroids and comets
with semi-major axes (a)
greater than 5 AU
(orbital periods greater than ~11 years) on 2018 January 1.
The orbits and positions of
Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto,
and comets Halley
and Hale-Bopp
are also shown.
Asteroids are yellow dots and
comets are symbolized by sunward-pointing wedges.
The top diagram shows the view from above the
ecliptic plane.
The bottom diagram shows the view from the edge of the
ecliptic plane.
In both diagrams, the vernal equinox
is to the right along the horizontal axis (+X direction).
Only comets and asteroids
in JPL's small-body database
as of 2018 January 1 were used.
Postscript versions of these diagrams:
view from above,
view from the edge.
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