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The asteroid belt is a torus -shaped region in the Solar System, centered on the Sun and roughly spanning the space between the orbits of the planets Jupiter and Mars. It contains a great many solid, irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets.
- How Did The Asteroid Belt form?
- Belt Composition
- Asteroid Mining
- Building A Belt
- Discovery of The Asteroid Belt
- Additional Resources
- Bibliography
Early in the life of the solar system, dust and rock circling the sun were pulled together by gravity into planets. But not all of the ingredients created new worlds. A region between Mars and Jupiterbecame the asteroid belt. Occasionally people wonder whether the belt was made up of the remains of a destroyed planet, or a world that didn't quite g...
Most of the asteroids in the main belt are made of rock and stone, but a small portion of them contain iron and nickel metals. The remaining asteroids are made up of a mix of these, along with carbon-rich materials. Some of the more distant asteroids tend to contain more ices. Although they aren't large enough to maintain an atmosphere, but there i...
Asteroids have more than enough gold, plus other precious metals, to provide a few lifetimes' worth of fortunes. But there are plenty of other reasons asteroids are valuable. But how do we get these metals from these faraway asteroids? Perhaps the best way is to bring the spacerocks to Earth. Most of the metals we use in our everyday lives are buri...
The main belt lies between Mars and Jupiter, roughly two to four times the Earth-sun distance, and spans a region about 140 million miles across. Objects in the belt are divided into eight subgroups named after the main asteroids in each group. These groups are the Hungarias, Floras, Phocaea, Koronis, Eos, Themis, Cybeles and Hildas. Although Holly...
Johann Titius, an 18th-century German astronomer, noted a mathematical pattern in the layout of the planets and used it to predict the existence of one between Mars and Jupiter. Astronomers scoured the heavens in search of this missing body. In 1800, 25 astronomers formed a group known as the Celestial Police, each searching 15 degrees of the Zodia...
You can read more about asteroids and the updated current asteroid count at NASA's Solar System Exploration asteroid page. Additionally you can learn more about the formation of the main asteroid belt in this article by Cosmos Magazine.
"Asteroids". NASA Solar System Exploration (2021). "The Grand Tack". Southwest Research Institute. "Forming Terrestrial Planets". Science (2014). "UCLA Astronomers Identify Evidence Of Asteroid Belt Around Nearby Star: Findings Indicate Potential For Planet Or Asteroid Formation". University of California (2001). "Asteroids: Structure and compositi...
Feb 7, 2023 · Learn about the asteroid belt, a region of our solar system where many small bodies orbit the sun between Mars and Jupiter. Find out how asteroids formed, how they vary in size and shape, and how they are classified into different groups.
Mar 9, 2021 · Learn how the asteroid belt was formed from the leftovers of planet formation or the debris of planetary collisions. Find out what it is made of, how it affects space exploration and why it is unlikely to become a planet.
Jun 30, 2021 · Learn about the asteroid belt, a region of rocky debris left over from the early formation of our solar system. See an artist's illustration of the asteroid belt and its size, mass and location.
Learn about the composition, classification, and naming of asteroids, the rocky remnants left over from the early solar system. Find out how asteroids can impact Earth and other planets, and how scientists monitor them.
Jul 13, 2021 · Learn about the origin, composition, and classification of asteroids, the rocky remnants left over from the early formation of our solar system. Find out how scientists monitor and name these space objects that orbit between Mars and Jupiter or near Earth.
