
NASA's Lucy asteroid mission adds 10th space rock target
NASA's Jupiter Trojan asteroid-scouting mission has been given an additional space rock to visit, bringing the journey's total to 10 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