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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 

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Pictures from Space! Our Image of the Day

By Space.com Staff

An Ariane 5 rocket rises between the silhouettes of two palm trees as it lifts off into the cloud-covered evening sky in Kourou, French Guiana.

This image, taken Jan. 8, shows the newfound asteroid 2020 AV2, which orbits the sun closer than Venus does.

This newly discovered asteroid is the second-closest natural object to the sun

By Laura Geggel

Excluding Mercury, this newly discovered asteroid has the smallest known aphelion distance in our entire solar system.

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew by the Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule on Jan. 1, 2019 as shown in this artist's illustration. It's the furthest planetary flyby in history.

Asteroids, Comets, Black Holes — Oh My! The Year 2019 in Astronomy

By Nola Taylor Redd

A black hole was photographed, the farthest flyby was completed, and a beloved rover was proclaimed dead. Follow us through the highs and lows of 2019 space science.

Artist's illustration of a black hole.

The Decade in Astronomy: These Space Discoveries Shaped the 2010s

By Sarah Wells

As the 2010s come to a close, it's time to revisit how some of the biggest space science stories shaped the decade.

An image taken from the International Space Station of a crewed Soyuz capsule launching to visit the facility on Sept. 25, 2019.

10 Things That Blasted Through Space in 2019

By Nicoletta Lanese

… and sometimes crashed to Earth.

An artist's illustration of the asteroid belt.

The Asteroids Might Remember a Forgotten Giant Planet

By Paul Sutter

We have much to learn from the rocks of the asteroid belt.

This image shows sample site Nightingale, OSIRIS-REx’s primary sample collection site on asteroid Bennu. The image is overlaid with a graphic of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to illustrate the scale of the site.

It's No Lark: NASA Asteroid Mission Picks 'Nightingale' As Sampling Site

By Mike Wall

We now know where NASA's first asteroid sample-return mission aims to snag its otherworldly stuff.

NASA is looking to artificial intelligence to aid in the search for alien planets and potentially dangerous asteroids.

How A.I. Could Help Find Alien Planets and Asteroids

By Samantha Mathewson

Using artificial intelligence could aid in the search for life and detection of nearby asteroids.

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.

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.