Asteroids
The sun’s family also includes small masses of rock or metal called asteroids. Most asteroids circle the sun in a ring between Mars and Jupiter.
There are millions of asteroids. Most are less than 1.6 kilometres across, but some are several hundred kilometres across. The largest asteroid, named Ceres, is also considered a dwarf planet.
The larger asteroids are nearly ball-shaped, like the bigger planets. The smaller asteroids are bumpy and jagged.
Asteroids often bump into one another and break into smaller bits. Sometimes they are knocked out of their orbits and begin travelling in another direction. These asteroids become meteoroids that sometimes collide with other planets. Collisions like this made craters on Mars, Mercury, and Earth’s moon. Bits of asteroids also become meteors, the “shooting stars” that we see from Earth.
Picture Credit : Google
