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asteroid
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
asteroid distribution between Mars and Jupiter Vesta meteorite fragment from Vesta Gaspra, Deimos, and Phobos compared asteroid Ida and its satellite, Dactyl Eros asteroid
OSIRIS-REx collecting Bennu sample
debris blasted from Dimorphos Psyche spacecraft near-Earth object: impact
For Students
rotation of Ceres
asteroid summary
Quizzes
The orbits of the planets and other elements of the solar system, including asteroids, Kuiper belt, Oort cloud, comet
Space Odyssey
1 July 2002: The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite reveals a massive solar eruption more than 30 times the Earth's diameter. The eruption formed when a loop of a magnetic field over the surface of the Sun trapped hot gas.
Brightest Star in the Solar System
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
All About Astronomy
Discover
Vietnam War. U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson awards the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant Marty A. Hammer, during a visit to military personnel, Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam, October 26, 1966. President Johnson
Vietnam War Timeline
Remarkable new details of Pluto's largest moon Charon are revealed in this image from New Horizons' Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), taken late on July 13, 2015 from a distance of 289,000 miles
Why Is Pluto No Longer a Planet?
Shah Jahan. Taj Mahal. Mughal architecture. Emperor Shah Jahan fifth Mughal Emperor (reigned 1628-1658) India, Himachal Pradesh, Basohli or Jammu and Kashmir, Mankot, circa 1690 Drawings; Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper (see notes)
6 Important Mughal Emperors
Sailboat against a beautiful landscape
Which Waters Do You Pass Through When You “Sail the Seven Seas”?
Horses. Equus caballus. Horse stable. A brown horse looks out from his stall through the window.
Horsing Around: 7 of the Weirdest Racehorse Names in History
bird. mourning dove. pigeon and dove. Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) family Columbidae.
Nikola Tesla's Weird Obsession with Pigeons
Secret Service Agent Listens To Earpiece
Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents

asteroid: Facts & Related Content

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Bus-Sized Asteroid Approaching Earth Today, NASA Reports • Feb. 14, 2025, 12:38 AM ET (Newsweek)
How an ancient asteroid strike carved out 2 grand canyons on the moon • Feb. 5, 2025, 9:05 AM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As planetoid • minor planet

Photos and Videos

asteroid distribution between Mars and Jupiter
Vesta
meteorite fragment from Vesta
Gaspra, Deimos, and Phobos compared
asteroid Ida and its satellite, Dactyl
Eros asteroid
debris blasted from Dimorphos
Psyche spacecraft
near-Earth object: impact
Gaspra
OSIRIS-REx collecting Bennu sample
Observe how paintball clouds enhance the albedo of asteroid leading to its deflection
Learn how we discover near-earth asteroids and the paths they travel in space
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

Max Wolf
Max Wolf
German astronomer
Carl Friedrich Gauss
Carl Friedrich Gauss
German mathematician
Zach, Franz Xaver, Freiherr von
Franz Xaver von Zach
German-Hungarian astronomer
Peter Naur
Danish astronomer and computer scientist
Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli
Italian astronomer
Johann Palisa
Silesian astronomer
Hencke, Karl Ludwig
Karl Ludwig Hencke
German astronomer

Related Quizzes and Features

Quiz
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
All About Astronomy
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
All About Astronomy
1 July 2002: The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite reveals a massive solar eruption more than 30 times the Earth's diameter. The eruption formed when a loop of a magnetic field over the surface of the Sun trapped hot gas.
Brightest Star in the Solar System
The orbits of the planets and other elements of the solar system, including asteroids, Kuiper belt, Oort cloud, comet
Space Odyssey
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
All About Astronomy