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  • Understanding Stellar Systems: Planets, Dwarf Planets & Moons
    The major bodies that orbit a star are:

    Planets:

    * These are celestial bodies that orbit a star, are massive enough to be rounded by their own gravity, and have cleared the neighborhood around their orbit.

    * Examples: Earth, Mars, Jupiter.

    Dwarf Planets:

    * Similar to planets, but they haven't cleared their orbital path of other objects.

    * Examples: Pluto, Ceres, Eris.

    Moons (Satellites):

    * These celestial bodies orbit planets, dwarf planets, or other smaller objects in the solar system.

    * Examples: Earth's Moon, Jupiter's moon Europa, Saturn's moon Titan.

    Asteroids:

    * Rocky bodies that mostly orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt.

    * Examples: Ceres, Vesta, Pallas.

    Comets:

    * Icy bodies that orbit the Sun in highly elliptical orbits.

    * Examples: Halley's Comet, Hale-Bopp.

    Other Minor Bodies:

    * These include:

    * Centaurs: Objects with orbits between Jupiter and Neptune.

    * Trans-Neptunian Objects: Objects beyond Neptune's orbit.

    * Kuiper Belt Objects: Objects located in a disk-shaped region beyond Neptune's orbit.

    * Oort Cloud: A vast cloud of icy bodies located far beyond the Kuiper belt.

    Note: While the bodies listed above are the most common, some other objects can also orbit stars, including:

    * Dust and gas: These particles can form rings around stars or be scattered throughout a solar system.

    * Exoplanets: These are planets that orbit stars outside our solar system.

    It's important to remember that this list is not exhaustive, and scientists continue to discover new celestial objects in our solar system and beyond.

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