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Definition: Any minor planet in the Solar System that orbits the Sun at a greater average distance than Neptune. Examples: Eris, Makemake. Characteristics: Includes KBOs, dwarf planets, and other small celestial bodies.

Definition: An icy body that resides in the Kuiper Belt, the area beyond the orbit of Neptune. Examples: Pluto, Eris. Characteristics: Composed mostly of frozen volatiles, similar to comets but larger, some are designated as dwarf planets.

Definition: A celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust that, when near the sun, has a 'tail' of gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun. Examples: Comet Halley, Comet Hale-Bopp. Characteristics: Icy nucleus, develops a tail when close to the sun, has a highly elliptical orbit.

Definition: A group of near-Earth asteroids named after the asteroid 1221 Amor. Examples: 1221 Amor, 433 Eros. Characteristics: Orbits are close to, but do not cross, Earth's orbit; composed primarily of rock; potential future sources of resources.

Definition: A meteoroid that survives its passage through the Earth's atmosphere and lands on the Earth's surface. Examples: Hoba, Willamette. Characteristics: Can vary in size, often contains metal and rock, may leave a crater upon impact.

Definition: A group of Earth-crossing asteroids named after 1862 Apollo. Examples: 1862 Apollo, 4179 Toutatis. Characteristics: Have semi-major axes larger than Earth's, orbit the Sun, pose a potential threat to Earth.

Definition: A small rocky body orbiting the sun, mostly found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Examples: Ceres, Vesta. Characteristics: Irregular shapes, varying sizes, composed of metal and rock.

Definition: A small particle from a comet or asteroid orbiting the sun. Examples: Not individually named due to size. Characteristics: Smaller than asteroids, can cause a meteor shower when the Earth passes through a meteoroid stream.

Definition: The light phenomenon which results when a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere and vaporizes; a shooting star. Examples: Not individually named. Characteristics: Causes a streak of light in the sky, burns up in the Earth's atmosphere, is often a fragment of a meteoroid.