Plot of the Outer Solar System
The plot below shows the current locations and orbits of the Jovian planets (Jupiter through Neptune) and the current locations of various distant minor bodies.An animated version of this plot, showing the motion of the objects over a 100-year time period, is available from our Animations page.
This plot must not be reproduced without the express written consent of the Minor Planet Center.
The orbits of the planets are shown in light blue and the current location of each object is marked by large dark-blue symbols. The current location of the minor bodies of the outer solar system are shown in different colors to denote different classes of object. Unusual high-e objects are shown as cyan triangles, Centaur objects as orange triangles, Plutoids (or Plutinos, objects in 2:3 resonance with Neptune) as white circles (Pluto itself is the large white symbol), scattered-disk objects as magenta circles and "classical" or "main-belt" objects as red circles. Objects observed at only one opposition are denoted by open symbols, objects with multiple-opposition orbits are denoted by filled symbols. Numbered periodic comets are shown as filled light-blue squares. Other comets are shown as unfilled light-blue squares. Dual-status objects are shown as minor planets.
In this view, objects in direct orbits (most of the objects in this plot) move counterclockwise and the vernal equinox is towards the right. (The equinox directions are the direction of the sun as seen from the earth.) Details of the designations are given in the lists of unusual minor planets. The plot is correct for the date given in the diagram caption.
