I'm trying to think of a good word for an asteroid/planetoid that has no stable orbit but has been ejected from a system and is passing close to a sun. Any help?
What are other names for planetoids that aren't orbiting a solar system, but hurtling through space?
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Welcome to Stack Exchange watercollider. I think your question could be cleaned up a little. Isn't a planetoid an asteroid? – Bob516 Nov 30 '19 at 14:02
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Are you looking for an existing alternative or do you want a new one? – Mitch Harris Nov 30 '19 at 17:21
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3"A rogue planet (also termed an interstellar planet, nomad planet, free-floating planet, unbound planet, orphan planet, wandering planet, starless planet, or sunless planet) is a planetary-mass object that orbits a galactic center directly." – Keith McClary Dec 01 '19 at 23:22
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1I'd recommend that you consider their orbits open, unbound or non-periodic, but not "unstable". In orbital mechanics "unstable" usually applies only to closed, bound, and periodic orbits. – uhoh Dec 09 '19 at 00:51
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See nnnnnn's comment below.
The NASA website, describing 'oumuamuam, uses the term "interstellar object." Extrasolar asteroid would seem to be another option. I haven't seen a unique word different from asteroid that originated outside of the solar system.
It seems a simple prefix is sufficient to describe objects beyond the solar system, i.e. exoplanet.
Scienfitic American has an article which uses the term "interstellar object."
Also, see answers to:
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3Isn't exoplanet normally used to describe planets that orbit stars other than our Sun? As compared to rogue planets, which do not orbit a star. – nnnnnn Dec 01 '19 at 01:39
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@nnnnnn Yup, you are right. You should write that as an answer and not just as a comment. – Bob516 Dec 01 '19 at 01:46
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3Well I don't think it is a complete answer because it doesn't apply to smaller objects. I guess rogue could also be applied to asteroids and so forth, but I didn't post an answer because I don't have sources I can quote to back that up. – nnnnnn Dec 01 '19 at 01:58