Damocloid facts for kids

A damocloid is a special kind of asteroid that takes a very long time to travel around the Sun. They are a bit like comets, especially periodic comets such as Halley's Comet. But here's the main difference: a damocloid does not have a bright tail, unlike a comet. Scientists believe damocloids are actually comets that have lost their icy parts and are now "sleeping" or inactive.

What are Damocloids?

Damocloids are small space rocks that orbit the Sun. They are called "damocloids" because their orbits are very similar to those of comets. However, they don't show the fuzzy glow or long tail that comets usually have when they get close to the Sun. This is why they are often thought of as asteroids.

Where Do Damocloids Come From?

Scientists think that damocloids come from a very distant region of our Solar System called the Oort cloud. The Oort cloud is a huge, icy shell that surrounds our Sun far beyond the planets. It's believed to be the home of many comets.

Evidence for Their Origin

There are a few reasons why scientists believe damocloids come from the Oort cloud:

• Turning into Comets: Some damocloids have actually grown tails and become active comets. For example, a damocloid named C/2001 OG₁₀₈ (LONEOS) later developed a tail. This suggests they were once comets.
• Unusual Orbits: Many damocloids orbit the Sun in a direction opposite to most asteroids and planets. This "backwards" orbit is very common for comets that come from the Oort cloud.

How Many Damocloids Have We Found?

By January 2010, scientists had discovered 41 damocloids. They continue to search for and study these interesting objects to learn more about the early Solar System.

• David Jewitt, A first look at the Damocloids

The Solar System
Sun • Heliosphere	Planets ☾ = moon(s) ∅ = rings		Mercury	Venus	Earth ☾	Mars ☾
			Jupiter ☾ ∅	Saturn ☾ ∅	Uranus ☾ ∅	Neptune ☾ ∅
	Dwarf planets		Ceres	Pluto ☾	Haumea ☾	Makemake
			Eris ☾
	Small Solar System bodies	Asteroids (minor planets)	Groups and families: Vulcanoids · Near-Earth asteroids · Asteroid belt Jupiter Trojans · Centaurs · Neptune Trojans · Asteroid moons · Meteoroids · Pallas · Juno · Vesta · Hygiea · Interamnia · Europa
			See also the list of asteroids.
		Trans- Neptunians	Kuiper belt – Plutinos: Orcus · Ixion – Cubewanos: Varuna · Quaoar · Huya
			Scattered disc: Sedna
		Comets	Periodic comets and non-periodic comets Damocloids · Oort cloud
See also the list of solar system objects

See also

In Spanish: Damocloide para niños