Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Astronomical objects/Archive1

message: 	

The example on the far right is the recommended table format for minor planets —note the recommended unit links. It is generated by the  template. The template has an optional astron argument whose default value is helion; this allows its use to describe asteroid moons, as in the S/2000 () 1 example.
Urhixidur wrote a nifty Windows tool that can greatly facilitate preparation of these. The most recent version can be downloaded from http://www.bigfoot.com/~D.U.Thibault (at the bottom of the page, under the heading "Delphi 7 and Wikipedia").
A more compact form of this with just the orbital elements is on the near right  (note the lower case 'p').
The two are incompatible at the moment, something which Nicholas intends to fix one day.
A few short-hand templates are useful when dealing with asteroids with provisional designations. They are Template:mp, Template:mpl, and Template:mpl-. Mpl ("minor planet link") is used to write a link, like so  = , whilst mp ("minor planet") saves you from typing  if you'd rather not:  = . Mpl- is used with numbered asteroids that have kept (so far) their provisional designations:  =  instead of .
===Footers===
*Template:MinorPlanets Footer - Minor planets
**Template:MinorPlanets Navigator - Minor planet sequential navigator
**Template:PeriodicComets Navigator - Periodic comet sequential navigator
**Template:Footer TransNeptunian - Large Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs)
***Template:TNO - Small list of TNO-related topics
Particularly useful are  and . Scroll down beyond the table to the right to see examples of these.
===Comets===
 9P/Tempel; Tempel 1
Comet(List of comets)    	Comet(List of comets)
                         	
Discovery                	Discovery
Discoverer               	Ernst Wilhelm Leberecht Tempel
Discovery date           	April 3, 1867
Alternatedesignations    	9P/1867 G1; 1867 II;9P/1873 G1; 1873 I; 1873a1879 III; 1879b9P/1967 L1; 1966 VII9P/1972 A1; 1972 V; 1972a1978 II; 1977i1983 XI; 1982j1989 I; 1987e11994 XIX; 1993c
Orbital elements A       	Orbital elements A
Epoch March 6, 2006      	Epoch March 6, 2006
Eccentricity (e)         	0.5175
Semi-major axis (a)      	3.122 AU
Perihelion (q)           	1.506 AU
Aphelion (Q)             	4.737 AU
Orbital period (P)       	5.515 a
Inclination (i)          	10.5301°
Last perihelion date     	July 5, 2005
Next est. perihelion date	2011
As discussed above, comets might be served better by a different template. Here is a suggestion for  we can toy with until we are happy with it. Awolf002 00:23, 5 December 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Minor planets (asteroids, comets, Kuiperoids, etc) 

message: 9P/Tempel; Tempel 1
Comet(List of comets)    	Comet(List of comets)
                         	
Discovery                	Discovery
Discoverer               	Ernst Wilhelm Leberecht Tempel
Discovery date           	April 3, 1867
Alternatedesignations    	9P/1867 G1; 1867 II;9P/1873 G1; 1873 I; 1873a1879 III; 1879b9P/1967 L1; 1966 VII9P/1972 A1; 1972 V; 1972a1978 II; 1977i1983 XI; 1982j1989 I; 1987e11994 XIX; 1993c
Orbital elements A       	Orbital elements A
Epoch March 6, 2006      	Epoch March 6, 2006
Eccentricity (e)         	0.5175
Semi-major axis (a)      	3.122 AU
Perihelion (q)           	1.506 AU
Aphelion (Q)             	4.737 AU
Orbital period (P)       	5.515 a
Inclination (i)          	10.5301°
Last perihelion date     	July 5, 2005
Next est. perihelion date	2011
As discussed above, comets might be served better by a different template. Here is a suggestion for  we can toy with until we are happy with it. Awolf002 00:23, 5 December 2005 (UTC)
thread_title: Comets