Asteroids are tiny, atmosphere-less rocky objects revolving around the sun. 

Below mentioned are ten things that you might not be aware of this planet like celestial bodies that can clash into the Earth and create destruction.

Were Created at the Similar Time as the Earth Did

Many astronomers believe that asteroids are a rocky remnant from the formation of the Solar System 4.6 billion years ago. Some of these celestial rocks were capable of growing vast to develop their own gravity and become planets as a whole. In contrast, many others have stayed back from getting combined by Jupiter’s gravitation forces!

These became asteroids as an outcome- Asteroids are also sometimes called planetoids or minor planets because they orbit around the sun as planets do.

The Majority are Found at One Place

Of the millions of asteroids that include our solar family, most of them can be perceived in a region amidst the orbits of Jupiter and Mars. And this region is named as Asteroid belt.

Labeled as A Lonely Arena

Perceiving or visualizing the Asteroid Belt as in the movies – A small strip of space shinning with mammoth rocks intended of Spaceship moving?

Well, imagine it once again, because the Asteroid Belt is nothing that sort of. In fact, it is a very solitary place for Asteroids!

Astronomers suspect that the normal distance between two asteroids in the asteroid belt is about 600,000 miles -966,000 km, which is about 2.5 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon. That’s a lot of space between neighboring twin asteroids!

Not All of Them Dwell in Belt

While major of the known asteroids live in the Asteroid Belt, many orbits the Sun outside this belt. For instance, Trojan Asteroids, named after the Trojan Wars in Greek Mythology, follow the orbits of a planet.

Scientists discovered the first Trojan Asteroid, in the year 2010, which is recognized as- 2010 TK7 that follows the Earth’s orbit constantly.

Near-Earth Asteroids are the ones that are pushed close to the Earth’s orbit. 

Sizes Vary

The giant asteroid known to humankind is, Ceres- It’s about 590 miles (950 km) in diameter. And Asteroids can measure anywhere between a few feet to several hundred miles in diameter measurements. 

Astronomers conclude that if all the asteroids in the Solar System were combined, the size of the resultant rock would be much petite than the moon!

Some Asteroids have Moons Though

About 150 Asteroids are today known to have one or more moons revolving them. The most well-known of these is Dactyl, a tiny moon orbiting Ida, an Asteroid Belt asteroid.

As Per Composition- They are Classified

Based on their compositions, most Asteroids fall into one of three groups; C, S, and M. They are determined by how far the asteroid was from during the time of its formation from the sun. 

  • C- They are very dark; they can be seen in the exterior regions of the Asteroid Belt.
    – Two-thirds of Asteroids are C type asteroids.
  • S- This is brighter, with an average albedo of 0.16.
    – Found in the interior regions of the Asteroid Belt.
    – They are composed of iron and magnesium silicates.
  • M- found in the middle of the Asteroid Belt and are much brighter than an average Albedo of 0.19. These are mostly composed of Iron.

Nearby Encounters of the Asteroid Type

The atmosphere of the earth behaves as a shield protecting us from meteoroids showers and other objects that populate space. 

Meteor Shower?

Sometimes, however, larger space objects clash with the earth’s atmosphere and impact the surface of the Earth. 

Due to a meteorite in recent history, humans have been killed there is some concern among the scientific community about the possibilities of a vast asteroid impact and the effect it may have on human life.

Did Asteroid Destroy the Dinosaurs Existence?

There is a theory among the scientific community that it was an asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.

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