Asteroid

usgb/ˈæstərɔɪd/
noun

A small rocky body orbiting the sun, mostly found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Thousands of asteroids are found in the asteroid belt.
Visual representation of "asteroid" - A small rocky body orbiting the sun, mostly found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Often appears as...

  • asteroid belt
  • small asteroid

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Academic

Definition 1 of 3
Visual representation of "asteroid"
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Not Comets

Asteroids are usually confused with comets; asteroids are rocky, while comets are icy and develop tails.

Illustration for Not Comets
The object didn’t have a tail, so it was an asteroid, not a comet.
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Not Just Belt

Although common in the asteroid belt, asteroids can be found throughout the solar system, even near Earth.

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NASA tracks near-Earth asteroids for potential impact risks.
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Size Variation

Asteroids can range in size from pebbles to nearly 1,000 km wide; size doesn’t change their classification.

Illustration for Size Variation
Dwarf planet Ceres is the largest asteroid in the belt.
Visual representation of the word "Asteroid"

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