SBDB

SBDB, short for Small-Body Database, is an online resource maintained by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory as part of its Solar System Dynamics group. It provides centralized information about small bodies in the Solar System, including asteroids, comets, and other minor bodies. The database is used by researchers, educators, and space-mission teams to access standardized data on orbits and physical properties.

For each object, SBDB lists orbital elements such as epoch, semi-major axis, eccentricity, inclination, longitude of ascending node, argument of perihelion, and mean anomaly; it also includes the object's class, discovery circumstances, observation arc, and data quality indicators. When available, physical properties are included, such as diameter, albedo, absolute magnitude, rotation period, pole orientation, and spectral type.

Access is provided through the Small-Body Database Browser on the JPL website. Data are compiled from multiple sources, including the Minor Planet Center, the Horizons ephemeris system, radar and thermal measurements, and peer-reviewed literature. The SBDB is updated regularly to reflect new discoveries and improved measurements, and it provides links to source data and references for each object.

SBDB covers both numbered and unnumbered small bodies, and includes near-Earth objects and comets. It serves as a standard reference for orbital data and basic physical parameters and is widely used in research, mission design, and public outreach.