Asteroids are small celestial bodies that orbit the sun and are made up of various materials. The largest known asteroid is Ceres. Most asteroids are concentrated in an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Astronomers catalog asteroids to learn more about the solar system and universe.
An asteroid, sometimes called a planetoid, is a small celestial body that orbits the sun, along with other solar system objects such as planets. However, unlike planets, asteroids are typically very small, with only a handful of asteroids reaching immense sizes. The largest known asteroid is Ceres, which is 580 miles (930 kilometers) in diameter. After the discovery of Ceres in 1801, many more asteroids were discovered, as astronomers knew what to look for. Thousands of new asteroids are discovered every year.
The name asteroid comes from the Greek asteroides, which means “like a star”. Asteroids are irregularly shaped collections of various materials, including metallic and carbonaceous minerals. When a fragment of an asteroid collides with the Earth’s atmosphere, it is called a meteoroid. The flash of light that characterizes a meteor is caused by vaporization as the piece of foreign material hits the atmosphere. Other foreign bodies that enter the Earth’s atmosphere are also called meteoroids.
As the solar system began to form, creating planets, asteroids also formed. Most of the solar system’s asteroids are concentrated in an “asteroid belt” that lies between Mars and Jupiter. It is believed that Jupiter’s immense gravitational pull may have influenced the formation of the asteroids, which would otherwise have merged to form a large planet. Within the asteroid belt, most asteroids orbit in groups, named after the largest or most notable asteroid in the group.
Other asteroids can be found scattered throughout the solar system. The exact orbital patterns of each asteroid discovered have not been defined, but, like many other celestial bodies, asteroids have specific, fixed orbits. The exception to this rule are comets, with very irregular orbits which can make it difficult to predict their movements. Some asteroids also come very close to Earth, and collisions with major asteroids are thought to be behind several important events in Earth’s geological history. The likelihood of another such collision is very low, to the relief of many organisms that call Earth home.
Astronomers catalog asteroids, along with other celestial bodies, in an effort to learn more about the solar system and universe. Most asteroids are identified with a universal number, and unique asteroids are also given names. Asteroid data is published regularly, so astronomers can determine whether or not an asteroid is a new discovery.
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