Like other celestial bodies in space, Asteroids are tiny, rocky beings that go around the Sun. There are currently over 1,000,000 asteroids in our solar system. So, are asteroids considered planets too?
Asteroids are not considered planets even though they orbit the Sun just like planets. This is because they are not large enough to be planets. Sometimes, asteroids are also referred to as planetoids or minor planets. Most asteroids are found within the belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Even though asteroids are not considered planets, they are still an important part of the solar system. Continue reading to find out more about asteroids!
Where Did Asteroids Come From?
Asteroids are thought to be the leftover material from the solar system’s formation.
A large cloud full of dust and gas crumbled to form our solar system over 4.6 billion years ago. Much of this substance settled into the middle of the solar system and created the Sun.
Then, some of this remaining dust condensed to form planets. However, asteroids never got the opportunity to become part of planets. They are leftovers from the same time when the solar system was formed. So, where are they found?
Where Are Asteroids Found In The Solar System?
Asteroids are primarily found within two parts of our solar system. The asteroid belt contains the majority of the asteroids. This part of space lies between Mars and Jupiter’s orbits. It contains over a million asteroids that orbit the Sun.
However, many asteroids lie outside the asteroid belt. An example is the Trojan asteroids that orbit the Sun through the same path as a planet. They do so in two special places in the solar system: 60 degrees in front of and behind the planet. Jupiter has the most Trojan asteroids numbering over 10,000. Other planets with Trojan asteroids are Neptune and Mars.
Are All Asteroids Identical Or Different?
Asteroids are different from each other because they got created at numerous locations where the distance from the Sun varied. There are over 1,000,000 asteroids in the solar system; numerous variations exist among them. They are not all circularly shaped like planets. Instead, they come in irregular shapes and sizes.
Some asteroids in the solar system have diameters as large as hundreds of miles, whereas others’ diameters can be compared with stones. Additionally, most asteroids have varying properties because they are created from different rock types. A few consist of clay; most asteroids have metal parts like nickel and iron.
Asteroids are classified into three types of appearances. The most popular are “C-type asteroids” and have a greyish tone. Next are “S-type asteroids,” which are greenish in color and account for 17% of the total. Lastly, “M-type asteroids” are composed of nickel-iron and have a reddish tint.
Like planets, some of the larger asteroids have been assigned names. Now, let’s talk about the largest asteroid!
Which Asteroid Is The Largest?
The largest known asteroid is Ceres. It orbits the sun in the asteroid belt and is almost as large as one-quarter of the Earth’s moon. Unlike many asteroids, Ceres has a spherical shape. It was the first ever asteroid discovered, and because of its larger size compared to other asteroids, it is now classified as the only “dwarf planet” within the inner part of our solar system.
Ceres takes 4.6 Earth years to complete circling the Sun once. Given that one rotation around its axis takes 9 hours, it has one of the shortest days in the solar system. NASA’s Dawn landed on Ceres in 2015 to study it.
Ceres’ structure is more like planets like Mercury, Venus, and Earth than it is with other asteroids. This is because its interior has layers, even though they are not well-defined. It is most likely to have a solid core and a mantle made of water and ice. Ceres has a rocky crust with many large salt deposits made of magnesium sulfate.
There are no rings around Ceres, and it has no moons orbiting it. However, there may be potential for life on Ceres because, unlike most planets, it has water on it.
Although Ceres does not have any moons, do other asteroids have any?
Here’s what would happen if the largest asteroid hit earth:
Do Asteroids Have Moons?
Yes, many of the larger asteroids in our solar system have moons. One of the larger asteroids, called Ida, was discovered to have a moon in 1993. The moon called Dactyl is approximately 1 mile and orbits Ida, which is 19 miles wide.
Since Dactyl’s discovery, many other moons have been discovered to orbit asteroids. Another asteroid with a moon is Eugenia. This asteroid is 135 miles wide and has an 8-mile-wide moon called Petit-Prince orbiting it. Petit-Prince was discovered in 1999.
Another discovery was made in 2000. A 90 miles wide asteroid called Pulcova was discovered to have its own moon, approximately 9 miles wide. Numerous other moons have been discovered since then.
With so many asteroids orbiting close to the Earth, is it possible for any asteroid to hit the Earth?
Can An Asteroid Hit Earth?
Although the chances for this are very low, it is possible for asteroids to hit the Earth. Instead, it is common for other small objects, including meteors and debris from comets, to hit the Earth. However, they mostly burn up before hitting the Earth’s surface because they are so small.
Asteroids are also known as Near-Earth objects. Their orbits can bring them very close to the Earth, coming as near as 30 million miles from Earth’s orbit. If an asteroid hits Earth, dust and smoke will rise in the atmosphere.
This will prevent sunlight from reaching the ground, so Earth’s overall temperature will drop. A drastic drop in temperatures can cause many living things to die. An example of an asteroid impact is the 40-meter asteroid that hit the Siberia region in 1908. Even though the asteroid was very small, it destroyed a woodland as large as London.
Conclusion
Asteroids are not considered planets because of their small size and irregular shapes. However, they orbit the Sun similarly to a planet, and some are very large with their own moons orbiting around them.
