What Are Asteroids? Words Like Asteroids
Asteroids are small, atmosphere-less rocky objects orbiting the Sun. Here are 10 things that you might not know about these planet-like celestial bodies that can crash into the Earth and create havoc.
An artist's 3D rendering of an asteroid.
©bigstockphoto.com/Elenarts
1. They were Created at the Same Time as the Earth
Many astronomers believe that asteroids are rocky leftovers from the formation of the Solar System 4.6 billion years ago. One theory is that after the Big Bang, dust particles came together to form celestial objects through a process called accretion – smaller objects came together with other small objects, creating larger space rocks. Some of these celestial rocks were able to grow large enough to develop their own gravity and became planets. Many others were held back from getting together by Jupiter's gravitation force. These became asteroids.
Because they revolve around the Sun like planets do, asteroids are also sometimes called planetoids or minor planets.
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