Loteroid

Loteroid is a fictional class of small, asteroid-like bodies used in speculative space science and science fiction to describe objects with distinctive interior layering and surface composition. The term is typically applied in narratives to discuss objects that differ from ordinary asteroids in ways that matter for theory and plot development.

Typically described as irregular in shape and ranging from roughly 0.5 to 4 kilometers in diameter, Loteroids have dark, carbon-rich surfaces with patchy albedo. Some depictions portray a layered interior consisting of regolith overlying denser rock and veined with metallic inclusions, a structure that is used to explore questions of formation and alteration in a compact body.

In fictional narratives, Loteroids are found in the inner asteroid belt or in co-orbital configurations with larger bodies. They are often depicted as having unusual magnetic or volatile-rich properties that make them attractive for both scientific study and resource extraction, depending on the story’s emphasis.

The name Loteroid is attributed to a fictional discoverer, Dr. Lot, and is formed with the -oid suffix to indicate a resemblance to asteroids. The earliest references place the term in speculative literature from the 21st or 22nd centuries, reflecting its use as a convenient construct in worldbuilding and technical discussion within those works.

Exploration in the fiction often involves reconnaissance probes and sample-return missions. Analyses within narratives emphasize organic compounds and volatiles that inform discussions of solar system formation and the provenance of water in the inner solar system, using Loteroids as a focal point for interdisciplinary study and storytelling.