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The Largest Celestial Bodies in Our Solar System

Celestial bodies with Ø > 900 km, size comparison with pictures
Celestial bodies with Ø > 400 km, list with data
List of astronomical terms in different languages
The new planet definition of the IAU
List of the largest celestial bodies in our Solar System
(currently 89 objects)
All known large bodies in our Solar System with a minimum diameter of 400 km,
bodies known only by their luminosity are included down to absolute luminosity H = 5.2

- last updated on July 3rd, 2007 -   : 2007 JH43, 2007 JJ43
# English object typediameter in km αHmass in Yg orbit radiusorbital period
1Sun star1391980  -26.819890000000.00 AU-
2Jupiter 5th planet139889 (142984×133700) 52-9.418987004.95-5.46 AU11.863 years
3Saturn 6th planet116600 (120536×108728) 47-8.85684609.02-10.05 AU29.447 years
4Uranus 7th planet50727 (51118×49946) 51-8.68683218.29-20.10 AU84.017 years
5Neptune 8th planet49246 (49528×48681) 41-8.310243029.81-30.33 AU164.79 years
6Earth 3rd planet12742 (12756×12713) 37-3.85973.60.98-1.02 AU1.0000 year
7Venus 2nd planet12104 (12104×12103) 65-4.24868.50.72-0.73 AU0.6152 years
8Mars 4th planet6788 (6805×6755) 15-2.9641.91.38-1.67 AU1.8808 years
9Ganymede Jupiter moon5262 43-2.0148.21,070,400 km7.15 d
10Titan Saturn moon5150 21-1.2134.51,221,850 km15.95 d
11Mercury 1st planet4879 (4879×4878) 11-0.2330.20.31-0.47 AU0.2408 years
12Callisto Jupiter moon4821 17-1.0107.61,882,700 km16.69 d
13Io Jupiter moon3643 (3660×3637×3631) 63-1.689.32421,600 km1.77 d
14(The) Moon Earth moon3475 (3476×3476×3472) 120.273.47384,405 km27.32 d
15Europa Jupiter moon3122 67-1.348.0670,900 km3.55 d
16Triton Neptune moon2707 76-1.121.47354,760 km-5.88 d
17(136199) Eris dwarf planet2400 ±100 ? 86-1.216.637.93-97.53 AU557.42 years
18(134340) Pluto dwarf planet2306 ±20 58-0.712.729.68-49.93 AU251.15 years
19(136472) 2005 FY9 TNO1800 ±200 ? 80-0.3?38.45-52.76 AU308.0 years
20Titania Uranus moon1578 271.13.53463,300 km8.71 d
21Rhea Saturn moon1528 650.22.32527,040 km4.52 d
22Oberon Uranus moon1523 231.33.01583,519 km13.46 d
23(136108) 2003 EL61 TNO 1493 (1960×1520×1000) ? 700.24.2035.03-51.55 AU284.8 years
24(90377) Sedna SDO1490 ±310 ? 301.61.7 - 6.176.16 - 892 AU10650,6 years
25Iapetus Saturn moon1436 270.81.973,561,00 km79.33 d
26(90482) Orcus plutino1360 ±520 ?  2.30.6 - 0.730.56-48.04 AU246.4 years
27(50000) Quaoar TNO1260 ±50 ? 102.61.. - 2.641.99-45.22 AU288.0 years
28Charon Pluto moon1212 ±3 374.51,5219,405 km6.39 d
29Umbriel Uranus moon1169 212.31.17266,300 km4.14 d
30Ariel Uranus moon1158 (1162×1156×1155) 391.41.35190,900 km2.52 d
31Dione Saturn moon1118 551.11.10377,396 km2.74 d
32Tethys Saturn moon1060 (1071×1056×1052) 800.80.62294,619 km1.89 d
33(1) Ceres dwarf planet953 (975×975×909) 113.30.942.54-2.99 AU4.5998 years
 (55637) 2002 UX25 TNO840 ?? 83.60.836.56-48.55 AU277.6 years
 (84522) 2002 TC302 SDO/2:5800 ±380 ? >53.9?39.07-70.97 AU408.2 years
 2002 MS4 TNO800 ??  3.7?36.10-47.79 AU271.7 years
 2003 MW12 TNO765 ??  3.8?39.58-52.41 AU311.9 years
 2006 QH181 SDO765 ??  3.8?38.89-87.21 AU500.6 years
 (145452) 2005 RN43 TNO730 ??  3.9?40.63-42.55 AU268.2 years
 2003 AZ84 TNO730 ??  3.9?32.27-46.55 AU247.4 years
 (55636) 2002 TX300 TNO709 ? >83.3?37.80-48.52 AU283.5 years
 (55565) 2002 AW197 TNO700 ±50 ? 173.3?41.04-53.47 AU324.8 years
 (90568) 2004 GV9 TNO697 ??  4.0?38.77-45.63 AU274.1 years
 (145453) 2005 RR43 TNO697 ??  4.0?37.18-48.96 AU282.7 years
 (120178) 2003 OP32 TNO666 ??  4.1?38.62-48.00 AU285.0 years
 (42301) 2001 UR163 SDO636 ??  4.2?36.77-66.16 AU369.2 years
 (84922) 2003 VS2 TNO636 ??  4.2?36.43-42.11 AU246.1 years
 1996 TL66 SDO630 ? 105.40.26 ?35.02-130.0 AU749.5 years
 (20000) Varuna TNO600 ±150 ? 203.70.59 ?40.59-45.12 AU280.6 years
 2003 QW90 TNO580 ??  4.4?40.36-47.05 AU288.9 years
 (119951) 2002 KX14 TNO580 ??  4.4?37.38-40.67 AU243.8 years
 (120347) 2004 SB60 TNO580 ??  4.4?37.45-46.59 AU272.4 years
 (145451) 2005 RM43 SDO580 ??  4.4?35.10-145.0 AU854.5 years
 (19521) Chaos TNO560 ? >44.9?40.95-50.13 AU307.4 years
 (19308) 1996 TO66 TNO554 ??  4.5?37.98-48.48 AU284.2 years
 (120348) 2004 TY364 TNO554 ??  4.5?36.21-41.27 AU241.1 years
 2004 XR190 SDO554 ??  4.5?51.05-63.63 AU434.2 years
 (2) Pallas MB asteroid534 (574×526×501) 164.00.242.14-3.41 AE4.61 years
 2004 PR107 TNO529 ??  4.6?38.98-52.52 AU309.4 years
 2002 KW14 TNO529 ??  4.6?37.32-56.84 AU323.0 years
 (144897) 2004 UX10 TNO529 ??  4.6?37.24-40.57 AU242.6 years
 2007 JH43 TNO529 ??  4.6?40.21-47.72 AU291.5 years
 (4) Vesta MB asteroid517 (560×544×448) 423.10.272.15-2.57 AU3.63 years
 (26375) 1999 DE9 SDO/2:5505 ??  4.7?32.32-78.87 AU414.5 years
 2001 QF298 TNO505 ??  4.7?34.92-43.77 AU246.8 years
 (145480) 2005 TB190 SDO505 ??  4.7?46.22-105.0 AU657.5 years
 Enceladus Saturn moon504 (513×503×497) 992.20.10238,020 km1.37 d
 (24835) 1995 SM55 TNO483 ??  4.8?37.41-45.90 AU268.9 years
 2000 CN105 TNO483 ??  4.8?40.36-48.82 AU297.7 years
 (38628) Huya plutino480 ±50 ? 114.7?28.54-50.97 AU250.6 years
 (28978) Ixion plutino475 ±75 ? 373.2?30.08-49.28 AU250.0 years
 Miranda Uranus moon471 (480×468×466) 323.50.07129,872 km1.41 d
 2003 QX113 TNO461 ??  4.9?37.17-62.09 AU349.6 years
 2007 JJ43 TNO461 ??  4.9?42.16-45.45 AU289.9 years
 2002 CY248 TNO440 ??  5.0?39.30-53.01 AU313.6 years
 2002 XV93 plutino440 ??  5.0?34.23-44.18 AU245.5 years
 (120132) 2003 FY128 TNO440 ??  5.0?37.09-62.31 AU350.4 years
 (82075) 2000 YW134 SDO440 ??  5.0?41.17-74.19 AU438.0 years
 Proteus Neptune moon420 (440×416×404) 105.60.05117,647 km1.12 d
 (119979) 2002 WC19 TNO/1:2420 ??  5.1?35.23-60.05 AU328.8 years
 (79360) 1997 CS29 TNO420 ??  5.1?43.28-44.36 AU290.0 years
 1999 CD158 TNO420 ??  5.1?37.28-50.03 AU288.4 years
 (10) Hygiea MB asteroid412 (500×385×350) 76.10.092.76-3.51 AU5.56 years
 Dysnomia Eris moon406 ?? see 503.1?37,370 km15.77 d
 (26181) 1996 GQ21 SDO401 ??  5.2?38.29-151.0 AU920.8 years
 2003 UZ117 TNO401 ??  5.2?38.39-49.69 AU292.3 years
 2006 HH123 SDO401 ??  5.2?29.88-81.54 AU415.8 years
 Mimas Saturn moon397 (418×392×383) 773.00.04185,520 km0.94 d
 (47171) 1999 TC36 TNO375 ±50 ? 154.9?30.57-48.06 AU246.5 years
# English object typediameter in km αHmass in Yg orbit radiusorbital period

red name: "new member" in our Solar System, discovered only 1995 or later (Σ 55), the data are changing continuously due to new measurements,
black name: was known already in 1994 (Σ 34), the data are relatively stable and secured because of tens of years of measuring,
diameter = average diameter, evtl. with ± uncertainty, in brackets diameters in two or three axes - the last one is the polar diameter,
α = average geometric albedo in percent, a measure for how much of the light received get reflected by the body, this value is often only estimated,
numbers with "??" are especially dubious, because they are based only on the visual luminosity and the standard assumption of a 9 percent albedo,
H = absolute luminosity (depends only on the size and the albedo of a body, if the body is not shining by itself),
mass: 1 Yg = 1 yottagramm = 10e24 g = 10e21 kg = 1 billion* megatons = 1 trilliard kg       [*: the international billion = 10e12]
    (US-Americans use neither international tons, international billions nor trilliards, therefore in American English: "= 1 sextillion kg"),
orbit radius in case of satellites of the sun: smallest distance to sun (perihelion) - largest distance to sun (aphelion) in AU,
orbit radius in case of moons: average orbit radius in km,
AU = Astronomical Unit = average earth-sun distance = 149,597,870.691 km,
orbital period = sidereal orbital period, i.e. measured against the background of the stars, in case of moons in d = Latin "dies" = earthly days

name of typemeaning
central body of a solar system:
star		 celestial body that by itself actively emits radiation, of which the energy is being produced by nuclear fusion
large satellite of the sun:
planet		 primary satellite of the sun with the property of having enough gravity that it formed itself into a round shape,
having succeeded in clearing its orbital neighbourhood
midsized satellite of the sun:
dwarf planet		 primary satellite of the sun with the property of having enough gravity that it formed itself into a round shape,
NOT having succeeded in clearing its orbital neighbourhood
small satellite of the sun:
small solar system body
MB asteroid
TNO
plutino
TNO/1:2
SDO
SDO/2:5		 primary satellite of the sun with not enough mass to be a planet or dwarf planet
general name small solar system body = SSSB, comprises "asteroids" and "comets",
special case MB asteroid = Main Belt asteroid, SSSB with an orbit between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter,
special case TNO = Trans-Neptunian Object = SSSB with an orbit beyond Neptune,
special case TNO/2:3 = TNO with 2:3 resonance to Neptune, like Pluto, also called plutino,
special case TNO/1:2 = TNO with 2:4 resp. 1:2 resonance to Neptune, sometimes called twotino,
special case SDO = Scattered Disk Object = TNO with an orbit inside the "Scattered Disk",
special case SDO/2:5 = TNO with 2:5 resonance to Neptune, with an orbit inside the "Scattered Disk"
satellite of a satellite:
"moon"		 minor celestial body that does not orbit around the sun, but around another celestial body
"Dwarf planet candidates" are relatively large SSSBs that are awaiting the approval by the IAU as dwarf planets.

Source of the numbers:
The orbital data are taken from the lists of the Minor Planet Center, the physical data from Wikipedia, and from Johnston's Archive.
The above mentioned orbital periods were derived by me from the perihelion and aphelion data, and the
absolute luminosity H from the supposed size of the object and the estimated albedo, if not yet known from other sources.

→ The orbital period in years is proportional to √(a3), where a = great half-axis in AU = (perihelion + aphelion) / 2
→ average diameter = (equatorial diameter + equatorial diameter + polar diameter) / 3
→ absolute luminosity H = [solar luminosity = -26.8] - 5 × log ( √([albedo]) × [average diameter in km] / 2 / 149600000 )
log = decimal logarithm

Guessing the diameter of Dysnomia
If the diameter of Eris is about 2400 km and the visible brightness of Dysnomia is 1/60 of Eris, then the diameter of Dysnomia should be around 310 km - if both bodies have the same albedo. However the albedo of Eris is extremely high (ca. 86%) supposedly due to its "recently" frozen methan atmosphere, and its moon probably does not have this feature, thus Dysnomia should have a smaller albedo. Supposing a 50% albedo for Dysnomia (that value is probably still too high, Charon has only 37%), the size should be 310 km × √(86/50) = ca. 406 km.

Size comparison with pictures   List of astronomical terms in different languages   The new planet definition of the IAU


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© 2005-2007 Elmar Dünßer (Duensser)