Asteroids

Asteroids are space rocks thought to be the remains left over from the formation of the solar system. They range in size from tiny (the size of a car or so) to truly giant, with at least one - Ceres - gaining dwarf planet status. In our solar system, billions of asteroids are in the asteroid belt, a region around the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Others stray from this region, and can potentially post an impact threat to the Earth. At least one interstellar asteroid, called 'Oumuamua, has passed through our solar system. Learn more about asteroids here.

Related Topics: Comets, Meteors, Shooting Stars and Fireballs, Rosetta Spacecraft 

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SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center with Crew-5 astronauts inside the Dragon Crew capsule Endurance.

Pictures from space! Our image of the day

By Space.com Staff published

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon Crew Endurance capsule atop is clearing the launch pad in this photo taken during Crew-5's launch to the International Space Station.

bright patch at center of image with long bright line to the right

DART impact gave asteroid Dimorphos a debris tail thousands of miles long (stunning photo)

By Robert Lea published

artist's depiction of dinosaurs watching fireball

Asteroid that killed the dinosaurs also triggered global tsunami

By Robert Lea published

The asteroid that struck Earth 66 million years ago, wiping out much of the planet's plant and animal life (most famously the dinosaurs), also triggered a worldwide tsunami with mile-high waves.

drawing of spacecraft hovering above rocky surface

Near-Earth asteroid Ryugu was born in the outer solar system 4 billion years ago

By Robert Lea published

In 2019, the Hayabusa2 spacecraft collected samples from the asteroid Ryugu. Now, an analysis of these fragments has revealed Ryugu's history.

A series of three images from the Hubble Space Telescope showing a plume of ejecta in blue from the DART impact.

DART asteroid crash seen by James Webb, Hubble space telescopes (photos)

By Tereza Pultarova published

The James Webb Space Telescope and its older counterpart Hubble photographed the impact of NASA's asteroid-smashing DART probe into the space rock Dimorphos on Monday (Sept. 26).

Europe's Hera spacecraft accompanied by two cubesats will investigate the battered asteroid Dimorphos in detail in 2027.

Asteroid-smash aftermath: Why Europe is sending a probe to DART-battered Dimorphos

By Tereza Pultarova published

More than four years after DART's collision with the asteroid Dimorphos, Europe's Hera mission will help validate the space rock deflection experiment.

a rock against a space background with Earth and moon in background

Evidence of dinosaur-killing asteroid impact found on the moon

By Robert Lea published

Lunar glass reveals that large meteorite strikes on Earth, like the impact that killed the dinosaurs, were not isolated events.

Asteroid Dimorphos is larger than Rome's Colosseum.

NASA's DART asteroid impact won't make Dimorphos hit Earth — but here's what would happen if it did

By Tereza Pultarova published

NASA's DART mission didn't nudge its target asteroid toward Earth, but there could be other space rocks on a collision course with Earth.

two bright blobs, one surrounded by wispy rays

Behold the 1st images of DART's wild asteroid crash!

By Meghan Bartels published

DART truly made a mess last night.

A sequence of images showing the brightening of asteroid Didymos immediately after the impact of NASA's DART spacecraft.

Astronomers stunned as binary asteroid Didymos-Dimorphos brightens after DART space rock impact

By Tereza Pultarova published

Astronomers watched in awe as binary asteroid Didymos brightened up immediately after the impact of NASA's DART mission on Monday (Sept. 26).

two grey lumps against black background. Didymos is on the left and dimorphos on the right.

Didymos binary asteroid system: NASA's target for DART

By Vicky Stein published

Reference Didymos is a binary asteroid system that NASA's DART mission visited during the agency's first planetary defense mission.

Artist's illustration showing the DART spacecraft approaching Dimorphos.

NASA's DART asteroid-smashing mission: The ultimate guide

By Daisy Dobrijevic published

Reference NASA's DART mission was the first to test asteroid deflection for planetary defense by smashing a spacecraft into an asteroid. Explore the mission here.

The last photo Earth received from the DART spacecraft on Sept. 26, 2022.

Wow! Telescopes spot DART asteroid impact in deep space (videos)

By Mike Wall published

Telescopes here on Earth captured the DART asteroid probe's spectacular deep-space death.

a gray rocky ball against black space

After DART's incredible asteroid impact, the science is only beginning

By Keith Cooper published

DART may have completed its journey, but the work is only just starting for scientists as they set about learning how much the asteroid Dimorphos was deflected by its impact.

people in blue shirts standing and clapping

'Terror and joy': NASA's DART asteroid impact a historic success (and relief)

By Meghan Bartels published

It's rare for spacecraft mission personnel to cheer at the words "loss of signal," but tonight, that's exactly what happened.

a grey rocky body against a black background

NASA crashes DART spacecraft into asteroid in world's 1st planetary defense test

By Tariq Malik published

For the first time in history, a spacecraft from Earth has crashed into an asteroid to test a way to save our planet from extinction.

A series of images captured by the DART spacecraft as it sped to impact the asteroid Dimorphos on Sept. 26, 2022.

Asteroid impact: Here's the last thing NASA's DART spacecraft saw before it crashed

By Meghan Bartels published

NASA's DART spacecraft is no more, but its final view is incredible.

An artist's impression of the DART probe smashing into the asteroid Dimorphos.

When will we know how much DART changed the orbit of asteroid Dimorphos?

By Tereza Pultarova published

It will take days to weeks for astronomers to confirm whether or not NASA's asteroid smasher DART changed the orbit of its target, asteroid Dimorphos.

spacecraft approaching asteroid in background in artist impression

Why DART is a mover and shaker in asteroid planetary defense: NASA science chief

By Elizabeth Howell published

NASA will slam the DART spacecraft into an asteroid for target practice to get ready for the next big hit, but don't worry: nothing big is set to come at us for the next 100 years.

fuzzy grey crescent

DART asteroid smasher's tiny companion spots Earth and stars (photos)

By Meghan Bartels published

The DART spacecraft's tiny companion is ready to photograph a brand-new impact site Monday night (Sept. 26).