Space Systems: What is an asteroid?

By NASA.gov, adapted by Newsela staff on 02.24.17

Word Count 487
Level MAX

An artist's illustration of the asteroid belt. This area of space is filled with small, rocky objects, called asteroids. Illustration from: NASA/JPL.

Asteroids are small, rocky objects that orbit the sun. Although asteroids orbit the sun as planets
do, they are much smaller than planets.

There are lots of asteroids in our solar system. Most of them live in the main asteroid belt — a
region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

Asteroids hang out in other places, too. For example, some asteroids are found in the orbital paths
of planets. This means that the asteroid and the planet follow the same path around the sun. Earth
and a few other planets have asteroids like this.

Where Did Asteroids Come From?

Asteroids are left over from the formation of our solar system. Our solar system originated about
4.6 billion years ago when a big cloud of gas and dust collapsed. When this happened, most of the
material fell to the center of the cloud and formed the sun.

Some of the condensing dust in the cloud became planets. The objects in the asteroid belt never
had the chance to be incorporated into planets. They are leftovers from that time long ago when

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

planets formed.

Are All Asteroids The Same?

No way! Because asteroids formed in different

locations at different distances from the sun, no two
asteroids are alike. Here are a few ways that they
differ:

Asteroids
aren't all
round as
planets
are. They
have
jagged
and
irregular
shapes.

Some
asteroids are hundreds of miles in diameter, but many more are as small as pebbles.

Most asteroids are made of different kinds of rocks, but some have clays or metals, such as nickel
and iron.

What Can We Learn From Asteroids?

Since asteroids formed at the same time as other objects in our solar system, these space rocks can
give scientists lots of information about the history of planets and the sun. Scientists can learn
about asteroids by studying meteorites: tiny bits of asteroids that have flown through our
atmosphere and landed on Earth's surface.

Several NASA space missions have also flown by and

observed asteroids. The NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft
landed on Eros, an asteroid near Earth, in 2001. Then,
the Dawn spacecraft traveled to the asteroid belt in
2011 to orbit and study the second largest object
there, Vesta. Vesta is so massive it's like a small
planet. In 2012 Dawn left Vesta and went into orbit
around the largest object in the asteroid belt, dwarf planet Ceres.

In 2016, NASA launched the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to study an asteroid near Earth named Bennu
and bring a sample of the asteroid back to Earth!

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Quiz

1 Which section highlights the idea that asteroids were made out of the extra dust from when the solar system formed?

(A) introduction [paragraphs 1-3]

(B) "Where Did Asteroids Come From?"

(C) "Are All Asteroids The Same?"

(D) "What Can We Learn From Asteroids?"

2 Which selection from the section "What Can We Learn From Asteroids?" BEST supports the idea that scientists will soon have
new information about an asteroid in our solar system?

(A) Scientists can learn about asteroids by studying meteorites: tiny bits of asteroids that have flown
through our atmosphere and landed on Earth’s surface.

(B) Then, the Dawn spacecraft traveled to the asteroid belt in 2011 to orbit and study the second largest
object there, Vesta.

(C) In 2012 Dawn left Vesta and went into orbit around the largest object in the asteroid belt, dwarf planet
Ceres.

(D) In 2016, NASA launched the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to study an asteroid near Earth named Bennu and
bring a sample of the asteroid back to Earth!

3 Which selection from the article BEST supports the article's central idea?

(A) When this happened, most of the material fell to the center of the cloud and formed the sun.

(B) Because asteroids formed in different locations at different distances from the sun, no two asteroids are
alike.

(C) Some asteroids are hundreds of miles in diameter, but many more are as small as pebbles.

(D) The NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft landed on Eros, an asteroid near Earth, in 2001.

4 Which answer choice is the BEST summary of the introduction [paragraphs 1-3]?

(A) Asteroids are small rocks that circle around the sun. Even though they are smaller than planets, they
are part of our solar system. The solar system is filled with these small rocks going around in an orbit.

(B) Asteroids are small rocks that circle around the sun. There are many asteroids in our solar system and
many of them can be found in one place near Mars and Jupiter. Mars and Jupiter are two planets.

(C) Asteroids are small rocks that circle around the sun. Most of them are found in the asteroid belt between
Mars and Jupiter. Other asteroids can be found following a planet around in its orbit.

(D) Asteroids are small rocks that circle around the sun. Asteroids are often found in the orbital paths of
planets. Planets, such as Earth, have asteroids that follow them as they go around the sun.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Answer Key

1 Which section highlights the idea that asteroids were made out of the extra dust from when the solar system formed?

(A) introduction [paragraphs 1-3]

(B) "Where Did Asteroids Come From?"

(C) "Are All Asteroids The Same?"

(D) "What Can We Learn From Asteroids?"

2 Which selection from the section "What Can We Learn From Asteroids?" BEST supports the idea that scientists will soon have
new information about an asteroid in our solar system?

(A) Scientists can learn about asteroids by studying meteorites: tiny bits of asteroids that have flown
through our atmosphere and landed on Earth’s surface.

(B) Then, the Dawn spacecraft traveled to the asteroid belt in 2011 to orbit and study the second largest
object there, Vesta.

(C) In 2012 Dawn left Vesta and went into orbit around the largest object in the asteroid belt, dwarf planet
Ceres.

(D) In 2016, NASA launched the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to study an asteroid near Earth named
Bennu and bring a sample of the asteroid back to Earth!

3 Which selection from the article BEST supports the article's central idea?

(A) When this happened, most of the material fell to the center of the cloud and formed the sun.

(B) Because asteroids formed in different locations at different distances from the sun, no two
asteroids are alike.

(C) Some asteroids are hundreds of miles in diameter, but many more are as small as pebbles.

(D) The NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft landed on Eros, an asteroid near Earth, in 2001.

4 Which answer choice is the BEST summary of the introduction [paragraphs 1-3]?

(A) Asteroids are small rocks that circle around the sun. Even though they are smaller than planets, they
are part of our solar system. The solar system is filled with these small rocks going around in an orbit.

(B) Asteroids are small rocks that circle around the sun. There are many asteroids in our solar system and
many of them can be found in one place near Mars and Jupiter. Mars and Jupiter are two planets.

(C) Asteroids are small rocks that circle around the sun. Most of them are found in the asteroid belt
between Mars and Jupiter. Other asteroids can be found following a planet around in its orbit.

(D) Asteroids are small rocks that circle around the sun. Asteroids are often found in the orbital paths of
planets. Planets, such as Earth, have asteroids that follow them as they go around the sun.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.