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).

18 hours ago · CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s Lucy spacecraft will swoop past a small asteroid this weekend as it makes its way to an even bigger prize: the unexplored swarms of asteroids out near Jupiter.. It will be the second asteroid encounter for Lucy, launched in 2021 on a quest that will take it to 11 space rocks.The close approaches should help scientists better …

Mar 27, 2025 · Asteroids, sometimes called minor planets, are rocky, airless remnants left over from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. Most asteroids can be found orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter within the main asteroid belt.

Feb 18, 2025 · Asteroids, sometimes called minor planets, are rocky remnants left over from the formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. Most asteroids can be found orbiting our Sun between Mars and Jupiter within the main asteroid belt.

Mar 23, 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. Hundreds of thousands of asteroids are known.

Apr 7, 2025 · Asteroids are small, rocky objects that orbit the sun. Although asteroids orbit the sun like planets, they are much smaller than planets. A close-up image of the asteroid Ida taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA. There are lots of asteroids in our solar system.

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.

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 …

2 days ago · In case you haven't noticed, you may be sleeping better at night. The cosmic dream state you're in could include mind-bending thoughts about an impending asteroid impact on Earth. That's messy ...

Jul 28, 2023 · Asteroids are the rocky remnants of material leftover from the formation of the solar system and its planets approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The majority of asteroids originate from the...