What Are Asteroids?
Are you looking for an easy way to teach your child about space? We’ve put together a set of free materials that parents and teachers can use right away. In this lesson, your child will dive into the fascinating world of Asteroids.
We’ll explore the nature and location of Asteroids. Explore science in a more engaging way with captivating 3D videos and interactive quizzes. Download our app to get started!
Table of Contents
What you will learn from this lesson
- Asteroids are small bodies found in the asteroid belt.
- Asteroids are fragments from the Solar System’s formation.
Asteroids are categorized as Small Solar System Bodies because they only meet the first criterion for planethood: orbiting the Sun. These celestial objects are much smaller than planets.
Asteroids are essentially the residual fragments from the process of the Solar System’s formation that did not coalesce into planets. Astronomers have already discovered around one million asteroids within the asteroid belt, and the search for new ones continues. It is theorized that the extinction of the dinosaurs was caused by an asteroid impact with Earth.
Fun Fact
- Asteroids are typically bigger than meteoroids but smaller than dwarf planets.
- More than a million asteroids have been discovered in the asteroid belt alone.
- Unlike planets, asteroids do not have a spherical shape.
Vocabulary
- Asteroids: Rocky fragments and celestial bodies that orbit the Sun, most of which are located in the main asteroid belt. They were formed from the residual material that did not become planets during the formation of the Solar System.
- Small Solar System Body: A category of celestial bodies that only meet the first criterion for a planet: being in orbit around the Sun. This classification includes objects like asteroids and comets.