scattered disc object
Noun
Meaning
scattered disc object (plural scattered disc objects)
(astronomy) Any trans-Neptunian object whose orbit is wholly within the scattered disc.
Synonyms: SDO, scattered Kuiper belt object
Short-period comets (those with periods up to 200 years) are thought to be scattered disc objects perturbed from their orbits towards the inner solar system by the gravitational pull of Neptune.
Scattered disc objects typically have highly eccentric orbits which can be inclined up to 40° relative to the orbital plane of the inner solar system.
Alternative names
scattered-disc object