A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

What are asteroids and comets?

Best Answers

Asteroids and comets are considered remnants from the giant cloud of gas and dust that condensed to create the sun, planets, and moons some 4.5 billion years ago. Today, most asteroids orbit the sun in a tightly packed belt located between Mars and Jupiter. Comets are relegated to either a cloud or belt on the solar system fringe. read more

Asteroids and comets have a few things in common. They are both celestial bodies orbiting our Sun, and they both can have unusual orbits, sometimes straying close to Earth or the other planets. They are both “leftovers” — made from materials from the formation of our Solar System 4.5 billion years ago. read more

Comets, meteors, and asteroids are often grouped together since they are all basically the same thing: small pieces of rock and/or ice that aren't part of a major planet. Comets. Credit: S. Deiries/ESO Comet McNaught over the Pacific Ocean. read more

Encyclopedia Research

Wikipedia:

Related Types

Image Answers

Further Research

Asteroids and Comets: Information and Facts
www.nationalgeographic.com

Comets, Meteors, & Asteroids
curious.astro.cornell.edu