An extrasolar object (from Latin extra ‘outside or beyond‘ and solaris ‘of the Sun‘) is an astronomical object that exists outside the Solar System.[1] It is not applied to stars, or any other celestial object that is larger than a star or the Solar System, such as a galaxy. The terms for extrasolar examples of Solar System bodies are:
- Extrasolar planet, also called an “exoplanet”[2][3]
- Extrasolar moon, also called an “exomoon”
- Exocomet, an extrasolar comet[4]
- Exoasteroid, an extrasolar asteroid[5]
Some Solar System object classes, such as minor planets, dwarf planets and Trans-Neptunian object equivalents have not been detected outside the Solar System. Several exocomets have passed near or through the solar system, and are called interstellar interlopers.[4]
See also
- Extraterrestrial, referring to objects or phenomena existing within the Solar System, but not on Earth
- Extragalactic astronomy, the study of objects outside the Milky Way Galaxy
- Interstellar object, an object that has traveled through interstellar space, such as ʻOumuamua, the first known example
- List of artificial objects leaving the Solar System
- Planetary system, a set of gravitationally bound non-stellar objects in orbit around a star or star system
- Substellar object – Astronomical object without the mass to sustain hydrogen fusion
References
- ^ “Definition of EXTRASOLAR”. www.merriam-webster.com. 2025-11-15. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
- ^ “In Depth – NASA Science”. 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
- ^ “Extrasolar Planetary Systems”. American Scientist. 2017-02-06. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
- ^ a b “‘A new class’: What 3I/ATLAS teaches us about interstellar small bodies?”. Wion. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
- ^ Naeye, Robert (2005-04-21). “An Exo-Asteroid Belt”. Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 2025-12-04.