stronomical object

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This article is about naturally occurring objects. For artificial objects, see Satellite.
"Celestial object" and "Celestial body" redirect here. For other uses, see Celestial.

   

 
  

Selection of astronomical bodies and objects

In astronomy, an astronomical object or celestial object is a naturally

occurring physical entity, association, or structure that exists in the observable universe.
[1]
 In astronomy, the terms object and body are often used interchangeably. However,
an astronomical body or celestial body is a single, tightly bound, contiguous entity,
while an astronomical or celestial object is a complex, less cohesively bound structure,
which may consist of multiple bodies or even other objects with substructures.
Examples of astronomical objects include planetary systems, star clusters, nebulae,
and galaxies, while asteroids, moons, planets, and stars are astronomical bodies.
A comet may be identified as both body and object: It is a body when referring to the
frozen nucleus of ice and dust, and an object when describing the entire comet with its
diffuse coma and tail.

Contents

 1Galaxy and larger

 2Within a galaxy
 3Categories by location
 4See also
 5References
 6External links

Galaxy and larger[edit]

The universe can be viewed as having a hierarchical structure.[2] At the largest scales,
the fundamental component of assembly is the galaxy. Galaxies are organized
into groups and clusters, often within larger superclusters, that are strung along
great filaments between nearly empty voids, forming a web that spans the observable
universe.[3]
Galaxies have a variety of morphologies, with irregular, elliptical and disk-like shapes,
depending on their formation and evolutionary histories, including interaction with other
galaxies, which may lead to a merger.[4] Disc galaxies encompass lenticular and spiral
galaxies with features, such as spiral arms and a distinct halo. At the core, most
galaxies have a supermassive black hole, which may result in an active galactic
nucleus. Galaxies can also have satellites in the form of dwarf galaxies and globular
clusters.[5]

Within a galaxy[edit]
The constituents of a galaxy are formed out of gaseous matter that assembles through
gravitational self-attraction in a hierarchical manner. At this level, the resulting
fundamental components are the stars, which are typically assembled in clusters from
the various condensing nebulae.[6] The great variety of stellar forms are determined
almost entirely by the mass, composition and evolutionary state of these stars. Stars
may be found in multi-star systems that orbit about each other in a hierarchical
organization. A planetary system and various minor objects such as asteroids, comets
and debris, can form in a hierarchical process of accretion from the protoplanetary
disks that surround newly formed stars.
The various distinctive types of stars are shown by the Hertzsprung–Russell
diagram (H–R diagram)—a plot of absolute stellar luminosity versus surface
temperature. Each star follows an evolutionary track across this diagram. If this track
takes the star through a region containing an intrinsic variable type, then its physical
properties can cause it to become a variable star. An example of this is the instability
strip, a region of the H-R diagram that includes Delta Scuti, RR Lyrae and Cepheid
variables.[7] The evolving star may eject some portion of its atmosphere to form a nebula,
either steadily to form a planetary nebula or in a supernova explosion that leaves
a remnant. Depending on the initial mass of the star and the presence or absence of a
companion, a star may spend the last part of its life as a compact object; either a white
dwarf, neutron star, or black hole.

Categories by location[edit]
See also: Lists of astronomical objects
See also: List of Solar System objects by size
The table below lists the general categories of bodies and objects by their location or
structure.

Extrasolar Observable universe

Solar bodies
Compound Extended
Simple bodies
objects objects
 Exoplanets Systems Discs and media Logarithmic representation of
Solar System
 Chthonian (  Plane  Interplan the observable
 Giant theoret.) tary etary universe with the notable
planet  Earth  Star o D astronomical objects
o G analog o ust
known today. From down to up
as giant  Eccentric gener cloud
o I Jupiter al o M the celestial
ce giant  Hot Jupiter o edium bodies are arranged according
 Heliosp  Hot see o M
to their proximity
here Neptune below agnetic
) to the Earth.
 Oort  Rogue field
o
cloud planet  Stellar
o disc
 Meteoro  Ocean (theo
id ret.) order o A
o M  Pulsar Binary stars ccretion
icromet planet o C
eoroid  Super-  By ircumst
 Meteor Earth observati ellar
on
o B  Trojan  (theo 
ret.) o lan
olide
Brown dwarfs o etar
 Moons
o y
 Minor Infographic listing 210 notable
planets (see  Types etric 
below) o M   o  Interstell astronomical
o A · L  · T  ·  scopi ar objects marked on a central
steroids Y c o C logarithmic map of
o D Sub-brown o loud
warf dwarfs g o M the observable universe. A
planets Stars (see sections  Close edium small view and some
o M below) binaries o O distinguishing features for each
oons o RCs
astronomical
o B  Stellar d  Intergala
inaries classification o ctic object are included.
o S  Stellar ache o D
ynestia  population III, d ust
II, I o
(hypothe o M
t.)  Peculiar  X-ray edium
 Planets ( star
o o O
see below)  Stellar RCs
Stellar
o R evolution
groupings Nebulae
ing  Variable
system star
 Star  Emissio
 Trans-  Compact cluster n
Neptunian star
objects o o P
By lanetary
assoc
 Small luminosity / evoluti
iatio o S
Solar on
n upernov
System
body o a
 o C o remnant
omets  Protostar r o P
o P  Young o lerion
lanetesi stellar object ompa o H
mal  Pre-main- ct II
o C sequence  Const region
ontact  Main ellation  Reflecti
binary sequence  Asteri on
 Sun  Subdwarfs sm  Dark
Planets  Subgiants Galaxies nebulae
 Giants o M
 Re 
Mercury Galax olecular
o
 Venus ies in cloud
d / Blue
 Earth –  general o B
 Bright
Moon  Grou ok
giants
 Mars –  p and globule
 Supergiants cluster o P
moons o Re 
 Jupiter –  Super roplyd
d / Blue cluster
moons  HI
 Hypergiant  By region
 Saturn –  s
moons compone Cosmic scale
 Quasi-star ( nt
 Uranus  hypothet.)
– moons o  CMB
 Compact
 Neptune  o  Cosmic
stars (see below)
– moons arm string (hypoth
Compact stars et.)
Dwarf planets o
disk  Dark
 Black hole matter
 Pluto –  o
o Ste o M
moons disk
llar ACHO
 Eris – D o
o Int o W
ysnomia o
ermediate- IMP
 Ceres mass o
tail  Domain
 Makema o Su wall  (hypothe
ke – moon permassive  By m
t.)
 Haumea  o G orpholog
y  Dust
– moons RBs
o  Filament
 Others  Neutron
o  Void
Minor planets star
o Ma spiral
 Vulcano gnetar o
ids(hypothet.) o Pul ar
 Apohele sar o
s o Th al
 Near- orne– o
Earth Żytkow o
objects object (hyp r
o P othet.)  By
HO  Preon size
star (hypothet.)
 o A Quark o
rjunas star (hypothet.) st
o A White clust
tens dwarf er
o A o Bl o
pollos ack ellipt
o A dwarf (theo ical
mors ret.) o
 Mars- By peculiar stars  By
crossers type
 Asteroid  A-type o
belt (families) o Pe laxy
o A culiar  · M o
lindas etallic t
o C  Barium o
ybeles  Blue o
o E straggler 
os  Carbon i
o F  P Cygni o
loras  S-type 
o H Shell f
ildas  Wolf– e
o H Rayet r
t
ungaria Variables – Extrinsi
s c 
s
o H
a
ygieas  Rotating r
o K o Al 
oronis pha2 CVn z
o M o Ell a
arias ipsoidal r
o N Eclipsing
ysas binaries
o P o Al
allas gol
o P o Be
hocaeas ta Lyrae
o T o W
hemis Ursae
o V Majoris
esta Variables – Intrinsic
 Trojans
o E  Pulsating
arth o Ce
o M pheids
ars o W
o J Virginis
upiter o De
 o U lta Scuti
ranus o RR
o N Lyrae
eptune o Mi
 Centaur ra
s o Se
o D miregular
amocloi o Irr
ds egular
 Kuiper o Be
belt objects ta Cephei
o C o Al
lassical pha Cygni
KBOs o R
o R V Tauri
esonant  Eruptive
TNOs variables
 o Fla
os ( re stars
2:3)
o T

Tauri
nos 
(1:2 o FU
) Orionis
 Scattere o RC
d r Borealis
disc objects o Lu
o D minous
etached blue
objects  Cataclysmi
 Sednoid c
o Sy
mbiotics
o D
warf nova
o No
va
o Su
pernova

· Ib/c  
· II

va

By spectral types

 O (blue)
 B (blue-
white)
 A (white)
 F (yellow-
white)
 G (yellow)
 K (orange)
 M (red)