<p>To have an orbit perpendicular to the ecliptic plane, it would need to have an inclination of exactly 90 degrees.  Orbits with inclination less than 90 degrees are prograde, and with greater are retrograde.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/G6c5C.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/G6c5C.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Asteroids with inclinations even close to perpendicular to the ecliptic are rare since:</p>
<ol>
<li>Most of the matter rotating around the Sun coalesced in the same general disk (with the same orbital inclination).</li>
<li>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kozai_mechanism" rel="noreferrer">Kozai mechanism</a> causes high inclination orbits to be unstable.</li>
</ol>
<p>If you wanted to find some asteroids with nearly perpendicular orbits, you could set up a query here: <a href="https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_query.html" rel="noreferrer">https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_query.html</a>.  I set up a query with &quot;Custom Object/Orbit Constraints&quot; under &quot;Orbit and Model Parameter Fields&quot; with &quot;i deg&quot; greater than 85 and less than 95.  It returned 144 known objects.  These queries are a bit tricky, so I took a screen shot:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/GLSIZ.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/GLSIZ.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-08T20:10:17.777Z
2021-11-08T20:10:17.777Z
Connor Garcia
<p>I'm conducting research on solar system dynamics, and found a list of asteroids in retrograde orbits, but none about the ones orbiting perpendicular to the ecliptic plane. Are there any detailed lists about such bodies, and where can I find them?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-08T15:58:00.030Z
Coincidentally, recent news reports discovery of a star with planets both in the ecliptic and nearly $\frac{\pi}{2}$ off the ecliptic.  How that happened remains a mystery at this time.
Carl Witthoft
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-08T15:58:30.897Z
@CarlWitthoft I never noticed that, thanks for letting me know!
WarpPrime
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-08T19:21:54.527Z
Wikipeida has a list  of asteroids with highly inclinde orbits. including one at 91 degrees that is essentially in a polar orbit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_exceptional_asteroids#Highly_inclined
James K
<orbit><asteroids>
Asteroids in polar orbits?
WarpPrime
# Asteroids in polar orbits?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-11-08)

I'm conducting research on solar system dynamics, and found a list of asteroids in retrograde orbits, but none about the ones orbiting perpendicular to the ecliptic plane. Are there any detailed lists about such bodies, and where can I find them?

**Tags:** orbit, asteroids
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Coincidentally, recent news reports discovery of a star with planets both in the ecliptic and nearly $\frac{\pi}{2}$ off the ecliptic.  How that happened remains a mystery at this time.  
> **username_0**: @CarlWitthoft I never noticed that, thanks for letting me know!  
> **username_2**: Wikipeida has a list  of asteroids with highly inclinde orbits. including one at 91 degrees that is essentially in a polar orbit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_exceptional_asteroids#Highly_inclined  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2021-11-08. Score: 15 | Accepted answer

To have an orbit perpendicular to the ecliptic plane, it would need to have an inclination of exactly 90 degrees. Orbits with inclination less than 90 degrees are prograde, and with greater are retrograde.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/G6c5C.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/G6c5C.png)

Asteroids with inclinations even close to perpendicular to the ecliptic are rare since:

1. Most of the matter rotating around the Sun coalesced in the same general disk (with the same orbital inclination).
2. The [Kozai mechanism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kozai_mechanism) causes high inclination orbits to be unstable.

If you wanted to find some asteroids with nearly perpendicular orbits, you could set up a query here: <https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_query.html>. I set up a query with "Custom Object/Orbit Constraints" under "Orbit and Model Parameter Fields" with "i deg" greater than 85 and less than 95. It returned 144 known objects. These queries are a bit tricky, so I took a screen shot:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/GLSIZ.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/GLSIZ.png)


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