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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 

Latest Updates

An image from NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft shows material being ejected from the surface of asteroid Bennu on Jan. 6, 2019.

Eruptions on Asteroid Bennu Hint at Causes of Space Rock Explosions

By Charles Q. Choi

For the first time, astronomers have gotten an up-close view of eruptions from an asteroid, shedding light on what might drive such explosions.

Wildfires have been raging across the southern and eastern states of Australia since October, and new imagery from the NOAA-NASA Suomi NPP weather satellite show plumes of smoke billowing from multiple fires near the coast of New South Wales. Another Suomi-NPP image captured in November show smoke from Australia's wildfires being swept across the South Atlantic Ocean, and that smoke has since spread to halfway around the world, NASA officials said in a statement. The satellite acquired this image on Wednesday (Dec. 4) at 2:45 p.m. local time, when there were 116 actively burning bush and grass fires in New South Wales alone.

Pictures from Space! Our Image of the Day

By Space.com Staff

Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft left the asteroid Ryugu last month to begin its journey back to Earth. This is one of the photos Hayabusa2 took of Ryugu shortly after its departure.

There's Something Weird About the Craters of Asteroid Ryugu

By Meghan Bartels

An artist's depiction of Europe's Hera mission at the binary asteroid Didymos.

Europe Officially Signs on for Asteroid-Smashing Effort

By Mike Wall

The European Space Agency has officially approved the Hera mission, which will assess the results of NASA's asteroid-walloping Double Asteroid Redirection Test.

Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft departed from the asteroid Ryugu on Nov. 12, 2019, to begin its journey back to Earth. This is one of the photos Hayabusa2 took of Ryugu shortly after its departure.

Japanese Asteroid Probe Tests Ion Engine for Journey Home to Earth

By Leonard David

A recent test of the ion engine that powers Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft went well, clearing the hardware for full-on operations soon, mission team members announced late last week.

An artist's depiction of the Hera mission at the binary asteroid Didymos.

Will Europe Finally Get Its Asteroid-Deflection Mission Off the Ground?

By Megan Gannon

Hera would observe the effects of NASA's Double Asteroid Redirect Test.

An artist's illustration shows the water snow line spotted around the young star V883 Orionis. In a new study, researchers have discovered ice fossils in an ancient meteorite which shows how objects that formed with ice beyond the snow line in the early solar system moved towards the sun (leaving behind these porous "fossils").

Ice Fossils in an Ancient Space Rock Reveal Clues About the Early Solar System

By Chelsea Gohd

Secrets about the solar system are revealed by remnants of ice from 4.6 billion years ago.

Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft departed from the asteroid Ryugu to begin its journey back to Earth.

Farewell, Ryugu! Japan's Hayabusa2 Probe Leaves Asteroid for Journey Home

By Meghan Bartels

Japan's enterprising asteroid-sampling spacecraft began they journey home Tuesday (Nov. 12), packed full of precious space rocks that scientists can't wait to get their hands on.

An artist's concept of NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sampling spacecraft at the asteroid Bennu. The probe is due to return samples to Earth in 2023. Today (Nov. 12, 2019), NASA announced the four potential landing sites for the craft to touch down at.

See the 4 Sites Where a NASA Spacecraft May 'Tag' Asteroid Bennu Next Year (Photos)

By Chelsea Gohd

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will "tag" asteroid Bennu at one of four potential sites next year. See close-up views of the four candidate sites here!

An image taken by Hayabusa2's Cam-H camera 4 seconds after touchdown on July 11, 2019.

How Japan's Hayabusa2 Stuck Its Landings on the Boulder-Strewn Asteroid Ryugu

By Elizabeth Howell

Hayabusa2's team — despite encountering a rockier surface than expected — made flawless touchdowns twice on an asteroid. Yet there are no plans for a "Hayabusa3," at least right now.

NASA has decided to fund a custom-built asteroid-hunting space telescope.

NASA Wants a New Space Telescope to Hunt Asteroids That May Threaten Earth

By Elizabeth Howell

The pace of finding threatening near-Earth objects is slowing, so the community is looking forward to a new space telescope to help in its quest to locate 90% of all city-threatening worlds.

Asteroid Hygiea May Be the Smallest Dwarf Planet in the Solar System

By Doris Elin Urrutia

The asteroid Hygiea may qualify as a dwarf planet — and it could steal the title of the smallest dwarf planet in the solar system!

Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project captured this image of the potentially hazardous asteroid 1998 HL1 on Oct. 23, 2019, at 1:41 p.m. EDT (1741 GMT), when the asteroid was about 4.1 million miles (6.6 million kilometers) away from Earth. The image comes from a single 300-second exposure captured remotely using the Virtual Telescope Project’s Elena telescope. The telescope tracked the asteroid’s movement, so the asteroid appears as a white dot in front of a background of star trails.

An Asteroid the Size of a Skyscraper Just Flew by Earth (Video)

By Hanneke Weitering

An enormous asteroid flew by Earth today (Oct. 25), and you can watch it zip by in a video from the Virtual Telescope Project.

An artist's depiction (not to scale) of the Lucy spacecraft visiting the Trojan asteroids near Jupiter.

Pioneering NASA Asteroid Mission Clears Key Hurdle on Path to 2021 Launch

By Mike Wall

The first mission to visit a mysterious swarm of asteroids that circle the sun along Jupiter's path has cleared an important hurdle on the way to its 2021 launch.

A large space rock's orbit carries it past Earth.

Pyramid-Size Asteroid to Hurtle Past Earth (Again)

By Mindy Weisberger

A fast-moving visitor is approaching our cosmic neighborhood. Dubbed 2019 SX5, this near-Earth object is about the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

An artist's depiction of the first identified interstellar object, 'Oumuamua.

A Second Interstellar Visitor Has Arrived in Our Solar System. This Time, Astronomers Think They Know Where It Came From

By Rafi Letzter

When 'Oumuamua passed through our solar system in 2017, no one could figure out where the object came from. But astronomers think they've worked out how Comet 2I/Borisov got here.

Glowing meteor, fireball entering Earth's atmosphere.

Falling Fireballs Crashed in Chile Last Week. They Weren't Meteorites, Experts Say.

By Nicoletta Lanese

Chilean officials are investigating a curious collection of burning objects that fell onto parts of the country last week.

An image taken by the main Hayabusa2 spacecraft of the MINERVA-II2 rover during separation on Oct. 2, 2019.

Japan's Hayabusa2 Probe Drops Its Last Rover on Asteroid Ryugu

By Meghan Bartels

Japan's asteroid mission has deployed its last rover to explore Ryugu's rocky surface.

An artist’s impression of two near-Earth asteroids.

Four Asteroids Are Buzzing Earth in Flybys Today (But Don't Worry)

By Hanneke Weitering

At least four potentially hazardous asteroids are making close approaches to Earth today (Oct. 1).

An artist's illustration of the centaur Chiron, which may have rings or orbiting dust structures.

Centaurs Rising: NASA Eyes Missions to Weird Asteroid-Comet Hybrids

By Mike Wall

The Centaurs may get their first-ever close-up soon.