asteroidlike

Asteroidlike is an English adjective used in astronomy and planetary science to describe objects, surface features, or processes that resemble those of asteroids. It is not a formal taxonomic category but a qualitative descriptor applied when a body or phenomenon shares key asteroid traits such as a predominantly rocky composition, irregular shape, small size, or a rubble-pile structure. The term can apply to small bodies in the inner solar system as well as to objects in other planetary systems imaged as small, rocky fragments.

Most asteroidlike bodies are irregularly shaped, often elongated or bilobed, and show cratering or boulder-rich surfaces. They range in size from a few meters to several hundred kilometers in diameter. Many are believed to be collisional fragments that reaccumulated into a rubble-pile configuration; their weak gravity leads to loose, highly porous interiors and low internal cohesion. Their orbits typically lie within the asteroid belt region or as near-Earth objects, though some can have unusual orbits due to resonances or past gravitational encounters.

In practice, asteroidlike is used when characterizing small bodies that behave or appear similarly to asteroids—contrasting them with comets, icy bodies, or larger planets. Researchers study asteroidlike objects using photometry, spectroscopy, radar imaging, and spacecraft observations, drawing on well-characterized asteroids such as Itokawa, Ryugu, and Bennu to interpret properties of other rubble-pile bodies.