Asteroids: worlds beyond the planets

A catalog identity, not an invented rock

Every selectable minor body has an official designation and JPL SPK identifier. Many have no measured diameter, rotation period or shape. Generic rendered rocks communicate a position; they do not reconstruct an observed surface.

An orbit is a dated solution

JPL fits observations to a dynamical model. The element epoch is the instant represented by its osculating orbit. A two-body path follows that instantaneous ellipse or open conic, while a Horizons trajectory can include planetary perturbations and supported non-gravitational terms.

Try a comparison

Select an asteroid, inspect its inclination, then reverse time. Compare its amber historical path with the cyan future segment. Load a bounded JPL trajectory before interpreting a close encounter, where a simple Keplerian overview is least reliable.

From the cached JPL catalog

2,052 matching records in this bounded snapshot. Last fetched 2026-10-22.

Sources & scientific accuracy

NASA/JPL SBDB supplies catalog identities and orbital elements, Horizons supplies dated trajectories, and CAD supplies close-approach records. An encounter is a calculated passage, not an impact warning. Source dates, orbit solutions and available uncertainty fields are shown in the explorer.

Display radii, generic shapes and comet activity are illustrative. Read Tuduni’s time and accuracy guide or view data sources and credits.