Asteroid - Wikipedia
An asteroid is a minor planet —an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet —that orbits within the inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids).
Asteroid | Definition, Size, & Facts | Britannica
Jan 21, 2025 · asteroid, any of a host of small bodies, about 1,000 km (600 miles) or less in diameter, that orbit the Sun primarily between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in a nearly flat ring called the asteroid belt.
Asteroid Facts - Science@NASA
Nov 3, 2024 · Most asteroids can be found orbiting our Sun between Mars and Jupiter within the main asteroid belt. Asteroids range in size from Vesta – the largest asteroid
In Depth - NASA Solar System Exploration
Asteroids, sometimes called minor planets, are rocky remnants left over from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. The current known asteroid count is: . Most of this ancient space rubble can be found orbiting our Sun between Mars and …
What Is an Asteroid? - NASA Space Place
Jan 14, 2025 · Most of them live in the main asteroid belt —a region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Most asteroids in our solar system can be found in the asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter.
Asteroid Fast Facts - NASA
Mar 31, 2014 · About once a year, an automobile-sized asteroid hits Earth’s atmosphere, creates an impressive fireball, and burns up before reaching the surface. Every 2,000 years or so, a meteoroid the size of a football field hits Earth and causes significant damage to the area.
Eyes on Asteroids - NASA/JPL
Explore the 3D world of Asteroids, Comets and NEOs. Learn about past and future missions, tracking and predicting orbits, and close approaches to Earth.
Asteroids, Comets & Meteors - Science@NASA
6 days ago · Explore the 3D world of asteroids, comets, and NEOs. Learn about past and future missions, tracking and predicting orbits, and close approaches to Earth. Explore this page for …
Study Finds Earth’s Small Asteroid Visitor Likely Chunk of ... - NASA
6 days ago · Typically, asteroids — like the one depicted in this artist’s concept — originate from the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, but a small population of near-Earth objects may also come from the Moon’s surface after being ejected into space by an impact.
Asteroids, Comets & Meteors Facts - Science@NASA
Nov 3, 2024 · Many comets, asteroids, and meteors haven’t changed much in the 4.6 billion years since they first formed. Their relatively pristine state makes them wonderful storytellers with …