{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.astronomical-object","code":"thing-q6999","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q6999/","name":"astronomical object","alternateNames":["fusor","interstellar cloud","astronomical object in the Solar System","galaxy filament","extended green object","artificial celestial body","galactic rim","bipolar outflow","galactic center","false companion","co-orbital object","blackhole candidate"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.SPC"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A naturally occurring physical body, association or structure in the observable universe, such as a star, planet, moon, asteroid, comet, nebula or galaxy.","purpose":"Let an agent handle astronomical objects by class, designation, position and physical properties, and separate catalogue identity from physical nature.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Natural; artificial satellites are a separate category","Identified by designations in catalogues, often several at once","Classified by physical nature: star, planet, galaxy and others","Position given in celestial coordinates with an epoch"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"identity","name":"Identity","description":"Names and designations.","layers":[{"id":"designations","name":"Designations","description":"Catalogue identifiers.","findings":[{"id":"designations-finding","name":"Designations held","description":"All designations and the preferred one.","questions":[{"text":"Which designations identify this object?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which name is officially recognised by the IAU?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"class","name":"Class","description":"What kind of object.","findings":[{"id":"class-finding","name":"Classification","description":"The physical class.","questions":[{"text":"What kind of object is it?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"How certain is the classification?","kind":"measurement"}]}]}]},{"id":"position-and-motion","name":"Position and motion","description":"Where it is.","layers":[{"id":"position","name":"Position","description":"Coordinates.","findings":[{"id":"position-finding","name":"Coordinates","description":"The coordinates and epoch.","questions":[{"text":"What are its coordinates, in which frame and epoch?","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"How precise are they?","kind":"measurement"}]}]},{"id":"motion","name":"Motion","description":"Proper motion and orbit.","findings":[{"id":"motion-finding","name":"Motion data","description":"Motion or orbital elements.","questions":[{"text":"How does it move, or what is its orbit?","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Could it approach the Earth?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"physical-properties","name":"Physical properties","description":"Distance, size and composition.","layers":[{"id":"distance","name":"Distance and size","description":"How far and how big.","findings":[{"id":"distance-finding","name":"Distance and size","description":"The distance and size estimates.","questions":[{"text":"How far away is it, and by which method was that measured?","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"How large and massive is it?","kind":"measurement"}]}]},{"id":"composition","name":"Composition","description":"What it is made of.","findings":[{"id":"composition-finding","name":"Composition","description":"Composition from spectra or samples.","questions":[{"text":"What is it made of, and how is that known?","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What is its temperature or luminosity?","kind":"measurement"}]}]}]},{"id":"observation","name":"Observation","description":"How to see it.","layers":[{"id":"visibility","name":"Visibility","description":"When and where it can be seen.","findings":[{"id":"visibility-finding","name":"Observability","description":"Magnitude and visibility windows.","questions":[{"text":"How bright is it, and when is it visible from a given place?","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What instrument is needed?","kind":"definition"}]}]},{"id":"data","name":"Data","description":"Archives and surveys.","findings":[{"id":"data-finding","name":"Data sources","description":"Surveys and archives holding data.","questions":[{"text":"Which surveys and archives hold data on this object?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"How current are they?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Report positions, designations and properties of objects from official catalogues, with epoch and source.","Distinguish catalogue entries that share similar names."],"mustNot":["Merge two catalogue objects into one record because their names are alike.","Present an unconfirmed impact risk as certain or dismiss an official warning.","Present a commercially sold name for an object as an official designation."],"requiresHuman":["Publishing or amplifying an impact risk assessment to the public."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Public trust in science suffers when sky objects are used for scares or for sale."],"affectedParties":["The public","Astronomers relying on catalogues"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody owns them; the international astronomical community names and catalogues them.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["International astronomical catalogues and minor planet records"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q223557","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"star and planet","type":"related","note":"major classes with their own entries"},{"target":"astronomy","type":"related","note":"the discipline"},{"target":"International Astronomical Union","type":"related","note":"naming authority"},{"target":"artificial satellite","type":"related","note":"human-made objects are different"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.astronomical-object","Wikidata: Q6999 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6999)","SIMBAD identifier: catalogue designations cross-identifies objects","IAU Minor Planet number: numeric asteroids and other small bodies"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["distance: from 384,000 km to over 10 billion light years distance","mass: from grams to 10^15 solar masses mass - meteoroids to galaxy clusters"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Point sources versus extended sources","Motion against the stars for Solar System objects","Catalogue designations such as M31, NGC 224, HD 209458","From a point of light to an extended glowing cloud or a spiral of stars; many objects are only visible outside the visible spectrum."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["observe it, with telescopes across the spectrum","catalogue it, with designations and coordinates","measure it, for distance, mass, size and composition","name it, through the International Astronomical Union"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Merging different catalogue objects with similar names","Using coordinates without the epoch","Near-Earth object impact risk, handled by planetary defence"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["IAU naming rules and resolutions","ICRS celestial reference system","Outer Space Treaty on use and appropriation"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Organising what exists beyond the Earth atmosphere for observation, navigation and science.","stars and stellar remnants","planets, dwarf planets and moons","small bodies: asteroids, comets, meteoroids","nebulae and interstellar clouds","galaxies and clusters"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q6999: astronomical object","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6999","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Astronomical object","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_object","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should catalogue objects be registered as instances with cross-identifiers?","How should objects with uncertain classification be represented?","Which coordinate epoch should the registry use?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q6999/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q6999/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-11T04:35:51Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:52:01+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}