The phrase “transit of minor planets” is not widely recognized as a standard astronomical term in major encyclopedic sources. While individual minor planets (asteroids) have been observed crossing the solar disc as seen from Earth—events sometimes described in the literature as “asteroid transits” or “transits of asteroids”—there is no dedicated entry or broadly accepted definition for the plural formulation “transit of minor planets.” Consequently, detailed, verifiable encyclopedic information on the concept as a distinct category is lacking.
Possible contextual usage
- The word minor planet is a synonym for asteroid or other small Solar System bodies that are not classified as comets or major planets.
- A transit in astronomy typically denotes a smaller body passing directly between an observer and a larger luminous body, causing a measurable diminution of light (e.g., transits of Mercury or Venus across the Sun).
- In occasional scholarly articles and observing logs, the passage of an individual asteroid across the Sun’s disk has been termed an “asteroid transit.” Such events are rare because the apparent angular size of most asteroids is far smaller than the Sun’s, and the geometric alignment required is uncommon.
Etymology
- Transit: from Latin transitus (“a going across”).
- Minor planet: a classification introduced in the 19th century to denote celestial bodies orbiting the Sun that are smaller than the major planets and not comets.
Given the absence of a dedicated, reliable encyclopedic entry, the term remains a descriptive phrase rather than an established concept.
