Celestia Forums

For some time now I've had a script to generate ssc files from the JPL Small-Body Database. These are similar to other catalogs of minor planets, but I can more easily update them or include specific sets of objects. I already uploaded a catalog of Atira asteroids to celestia.mobi some months ago based on this, but mobi isn't ideal for these kind of catalogs since some asteroids have their own addons, often with more complete data. So I'll post this here in case anyone finds it useful.

This addon includes all numbered minor planets outside the main belt (except those in default Celestia), and over 20,000 main belt asteroids. I intend to update it whenever new minor planet numbers are published (around once every two months); old versions are not saved. This will cause conflicts with other asteroid addons that add the same objects! You could use this to get ssc code for individual asteroids, if you want to make an addon for one or just want to see 10003 Caryhuang or 524522 Zoozve.

The asteroid texture is by cubicApoc and is the same one currently in default.


Currently, the JPL SBDB data is only supplemented with colors for a few objects from TrueColorTools. Things that could be added:

• more basic physical parameters (size, albedo, rotation) that aren't in the SBDB
• more colors that aren't in TCT
• shape models or triaxial ellipsoid dimensions, as applicable
• pole orientations
• satellites and binary systems
• xyzv trajectories for objects with unusual orbits
• textures, though all minor planets with texture data are in default or should be

If you want some object or set of objects that's not here you can request it in this thread.