Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
asteroid
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

asteroid: Facts & Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/asteroid

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
default image
Peter Naur
Danish astronomer and computer scientist
default image
Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli
Italian astronomer
default image
Johann Palisa
Silesian astronomer
Hencke, Karl Ludwig
Karl Ludwig Hencke
German astronomer

Related Quizzes

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
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
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