Science & Tech
asteroid
astronomy
Also known as: minor planet, planetoid
asteroid distribution between Mars and Jupiter
Category:
Science & Tech
- Also called:
- minor planet
- Or:
- planetoid
- Related Topics:
- Earth-crossing asteroid
- Kirkwood gaps
- P-class asteroid
- Ida
- Psyche
Recent News
Mar. 29, 2024, 6:00 AM ET (Voice of America)
Study Describes More Details on Asteroid’s Crash with Spacecraft
Mar. 22, 2024, 5:07 AM ET (MSN)
Asteroid named after Indian astrophysicist Prof Jayant Murthy
Mar. 21, 2024, 4:49 AM ET (ABC News (U.S.))
'Asteroid hunter' digs deep into massive space object that's set to make close pass to Earth
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. It is because of their small size and large numbers relative to the major planets that asteroids are also called minor planets. The two designations have been used interchangeably, though the term asteroid is more widely recognized by the general public. Among scientists, those who study individual objects with dynamically interesting orbits or groups of objects with similar orbital characteristics generally use ...(100 of 10591 words)