The eight planets orbit the Sun in mostly circular paths and are either primarily rocky or primarily gaseous. Inner planets (like Earth and Mars) are solid and small, while outer planets (like Jupiter and Neptune) are large and gaseous or icy.

NEOs are asteroids or comets with orbits that bring them close to Earth's orbit. Most are harmless, but scientists track them closely to monitor any potential impact risks. Their orbits can shift over time due to gravitational nudges from planets or the Sun.

These rocky bodies orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter, forming the asteroid belt. They range from dust-sized fragments to dwarf planet-sized objects like Ceres. The asteroid belt is leftover debris from the early Solar System that never formed into a planet.

Comets are icy bodies from the outer Solar System that develop glowing comas and tails of outgassing material when they approach the Sun. Their orbits can be short and frequent or long and distant, taking thousands of years to return.

Centaurs orbit between Jupiter and Neptune and sometimes have traits of both asteroids and comets. They're thought to be short-lived, unstable objects because of their close encounters with the much stronger gravity of the gas giant planets. Their chaotic orbits make them fascinating objects to study.

TNOs orbit the Sun beyond Neptune. They include dwarf planets like Pluto and Eris, along with millions of smaller objects. These distant, cold worlds are some of the most primitive in the Solar System, with orbits and surfaces that still preserve clues about its earliest days.

These are rare visitors from outside our Solar System, passing through on open-ended, hyperbolic paths so fast that they’re not bound by the Sun’s gravity. Unlike asteroids and comets that orbit the Sun, interstellar objects only pass through once, never to return. 'Oumuamua (2017) and Borisov (2019) are the only confirmed examples so far.

Trojans are asteroids that share a planet’s orbit, clustering around gravitationally stable points ahead of or behind the planet (called Lagrange points). Most known Trojans share orbits with Jupiter, but Neptune and even Earth have a few. Their unique orbits make them long-term Solar System residents and tracers of gravitational interactions with the planets.