minor planet
1
6.4
- noun
- /ˈmaɪnər ˈplænɪt/
- Specialized
:
planeta menor
- By the early 1920s, astronomers had numbered more than 1,000 minor planets.
- number of minor planets
- minor planets are discovered
- study of minor planets
Examples
-
Eventually, astronomers started calling these objects "asteroids" (which means "star-like") or "minor planets."
Academic text (2003) -
In the past year, almost 600 minor planets received numbers.
Academic text (1996) -
As the number of minor planets increased, so did the potential for confusion.
Academic text (1996) -
At the beginning of the investigation of each newly discovered minor planet, there is an accurate measurement of its position.
Academic text (2000) -
The early discoveries of minor planets were all made visually.
Academic text (1996) -
There may be more than 100 minor planets in our solar system, mostly KBOs not yet discovered.
Academic text (2003) -
By 1900, over 400 minor planets had been numbered.
Academic text (1996) -
Thanks to the work of Mr. Kippes and others, about 4,600 minor planets have now been identified.
Academic text (1991) -
The Small Bodies Names Committee assigns names to comets and minor planets.
Academic text (2000) -
Asteroids, also called minor planets, are rocky bodies that orbit the Sun, mostly between Mars and Jupiter.
Synonyms
314
5.0
A small rocky or metal body that orbits the Sun, often between Mars and Jupiter
9
8.4
A small rock in space that orbits the Sun like a tiny planet
5
4.4
A natural object in space like a star or planet that you can see in the sky
How Big
- Specialized
13
4.5
∞
1.0
- Specialized
1
4.1
- Specialized
1
6.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'a small or lesser planet/asteroid' is directly derivable from combining 'minor' (smaller/lesser) with 'planet' (a celestial body), so a learner who knows both words can infer the meaning. This adjective+ noun composition is a standard, cross-linguistic pattern in English, making the MWE immediately comprehensible to B1 learners.
Etymology
Minor planet comes from calling these objects smaller kinds of planets: minor means 'smaller' or 'less important' and planet means a body that goes around the Sun. So minor planet refers to a smaller object that still orbits the Sun, like an asteroid.