Definition of planet object can be irregular in shape, but beyond that point gravity begins to pull an object towards its own centre of mass until the object collapses into an ellipsoid. (None of the large objects of the Solar System are truly spherical. Many are spheroids, and several, such as the larger moons of Jupiter and Saturn and the dwarf planet , have been further distorted into ellipsoids by rapid rotation or tidal forces, but still in hydrostatic equilibrium.) However, there is no precise point at which an object can be said to have reached hydrostatic equilibrium. As Soter noted in his
Minor planet asteroids. A minor planet seen releasing gas may be dually classified as a comet. Objects are called dwarf planets if their self-gravity is sufficient to achieve hydrostatic equilibrium and form an ellipsoidal shape. All other minor planets and comets are called "small Solar System bodies". The IAU stated that the term "minor planet" may still be used, but the term "small Solar System body" will be preferred. However, for purposes of numbering and naming, the traditional distinction between minor planet and comet is still used. Hundreds of thousands of minor planets have been discovered within the Solar System and thousands