Asteroids

Closeup view of a rocky, diamond-shaped asteroid in space

Overview

Asteroids, sometimes called minor planets, are rocky, airless remnants left over from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago.

The current known asteroid count is at least 1,351,400.

Most of this ancient space rubble can be found orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter within the main asteroid belt. Asteroids range in size from Vesta – the largest at about 329 miles (530 kilometers) in diameter – to bodies that are less than 33 feet (10 meters) across. The total mass of all the asteroids combined is less than that of Earth's Moon.

Did You Know?

The total mass of all the asteroids in the main asteroid belt combined is less than that of Earth's Moon.

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Featured Asteroids

Asteroid Psyche in space. The asteroid has reddish patches and large craters.

Psyche

An image of asteroid Dinkinesh, a pair of grey asteroids with a slightly jagged surface, taken from the Lucy spacecraft.

Dinkinesh and Selam

Two asteroids in space

Didymos and Dimorphos

A grainy image with a distant asteroid circled

Apophis

Ida and Dactyl

Image of an asteroid in space

Itokawa

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