<p>Yes, there are, but they are very rare.</p>

<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_exceptional_asteroids#Retrograde" rel="noreferrer">Wikipedia has a list of retrograde asteroids</a>, and mentions:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>As of September 2016, of the more than 700,000 minor planets known, there are only 95 known retrograde minor planets.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>That means only 0.014% of known minor planets are in a retrograde orbit.</p>

<p>The asteroid with the highest known inclination is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_LA2" rel="noreferrer">2013 LA2</a>, with an inclination of reportedly (175.189±0.007)° according to the <a href="https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2013LA2;cad=1" rel="noreferrer">JPL small-body database browser</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-13T22:26:38.440Z
Since I can't ping you in the Earth Science SE chat room, I'll add it here. Do you have any thoughts on my comment in Astronomy SE? https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/57648/is-there-exchange-of-energy-between-the-solar-wind-and-earths-core#comment131982_57648
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-10T13:49:10.763Z
2018-07-10T13:54:46.040Z
2018-07-10T13:54:46.040Z
gerrit
<p>As I watch the <a href="https://youtu.be/ONUSP23cmAE" rel="noreferrer">video</a> of the asteroids being discovered, all I see is prograde orbits. Their prevalence is fully understandable and justified, but the Sun gets interstellar visitors occasionally and I see no specific reason why it couldn't catch one into a retrograde orbit. They would obviously be a minority and likely not nearly as long-lasting as these in prograde orbits, but they should exist.</p>

<p>Did we observe any? If so, what sort of percentage of the whole are they? If not, why? </p>

<solar-system><asteroids>
Are there any natural satellites in retrograde Sun orbit?
SF.
# Are there any natural satellites in retrograde Sun orbit?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-07-10)

As I watch the [video](https://youtu.be/ONUSP23cmAE) of the asteroids being discovered, all I see is prograde orbits. Their prevalence is fully understandable and justified, but the Sun gets interstellar visitors occasionally and I see no specific reason why it couldn't catch one into a retrograde orbit. They would obviously be a minority and likely not nearly as long-lasting as these in prograde orbits, but they should exist.

Did we observe any? If so, what sort of percentage of the whole are they? If not, why?

**Tags:** solar-system, asteroids


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-07-10. Score: 13 | Accepted answer

Yes, there are, but they are very rare.

[Wikipedia has a list of retrograde asteroids](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_exceptional_asteroids#Retrograde), and mentions:

> As of September 2016, of the more than 700,000 minor planets known, there are only 95 known retrograde minor planets.

That means only 0.014% of known minor planets are in a retrograde orbit.

The asteroid with the highest known inclination is [2013 LA2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_LA2), with an inclination of reportedly (175.189±0.007)° according to the [JPL small-body database browser](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2013LA2;cad=1).

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Since I can't ping you in the Earth Science SE chat room, I'll add it here. Do you have any thoughts on my comment in Astronomy SE? https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/57648/is-there-exchange-of-energy-between-the-solar-wind-and-earths-core#comment131982_57648  

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