小行星是太阳系内类似行星环绕太阳运动，但体积和质量比行星小得多的天体。

至今为止在太阳系内一共已经发现了约127万颗小行星，但这可能仅是所有小行星中的一小部分，只有少数这些小行星的直径大于100公里。到1990年代为止最大的小行星是谷神星，但近年在古柏带内发现的一些小行星的直径比谷神星要大，比如2000年发现的伐楼拿（Varuna）的直径为900公里，2002年发现的夸欧尔（Quaoar）直径为1280公里，2004年发现的厄耳枯斯的直径甚至可能达到1800公里。2003年发现的塞德娜（小行星90377）位于古柏带以外，其直径约为1500公里。

Asteroids are minor planets, especially those of the inner Solar System. The larger ones have also been called planetoids. These terms have historically been applied to any astronomical object orbiting the Sun that did not show the disc of a planet and was not observed to have the characteristics of an active comet. As minor planets in the outer Solar System were discovered and found to have volatile-based surfaces that resemble those of comets, they were often distinguished from asteroids of the asteroid belt. In this article, the term "asteroid" refers to the minor planets of the inner Solar System including those co-orbital with Jupiter.