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

detailed asteroid picture

Asteroid Bennu nearly swallowed up NASA's sampling spacecraft

By Elizabeth Howell published

NASA's asteroid-sampling spacecraft OSIRIS-REx had a near-death experience at Bennu, according to the mission team.

A mass of gravel and dirt ejected from the surface of asteroid Bennu by the touchdown of NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe.

Dramatic sampling shows asteroid Bennu is nothing like scientists expected

By Tereza Pultarova published

Asteroid Bennu nearly swallowed the OSIRIS-REx probe when it touched down on the rock to collect a sample, revealing that the space rock's nature was much different than scientists had thought.

an asteroid and earth

A bus-sized asteroid is passing safely by Earth today and you can watch for free

By Elizabeth Howell published

A space rock at least the size of a bus will safely whiz by our planet today, and you can watch the event on a free livestream.

detailed asteroid picture

Asteroid Bennu sports landslide and massive crater from tiny space rock

By Robert Lea published

When a tiny space rock hit the asteroid Bennu, it caused a landslide across the space rock and a massive crater.

artist's depiction of lucy

NASA reports 'significant progress' in rescuing Lucy asteroid spacecraft's solar array

By Elizabeth Howell published

A stubborn solar array on the NASA Lucy mission might yield enough to allow the mission to continue its asteroid-hunting mandate with few issues, NASA reports.

The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope spotted asteroid 2021 QM1 when it was extremely faint.

The 'faintest asteroid ever detected' won't hit Earth, months of observations show

By Tereza Pultarova published

Astronomers have finally ruled out that one of the highest-risk asteroids seen in years will hit Earth in 2052.

earth and asteroid

Celebrate Asteroid Day 2022 with free online broadcast today

By Samantha Mathewson published

Asteroid research and planetary defense is of great interest to scientists around the world, which is why June 30 marks international Asteroid Day.

Illustration of NASA’s DART spacecraft

NASA's DART asteroid mission might completely deform small moonlet

By Brett Tingley published

A new study finds DART's impact could be stronger than expected.

a spacecraft at an asteroid

NASA's metal asteroid mission Psyche won't launch before mid-2023 (and could face cancellation)

By Elizabeth Howell published

NASA's Psyche asteroid mission is facing an uncertain future after software testing issues forced an extended launch delay expected to last at least until July 2023.

Two pixelated images with a faintly visible object circled at the center

South Korea cancels Apophis asteroid probe: report

By Elizabeth Howell published

South Korea has canceled its effort to visit the space rock Apophis during a close, but harmless, flyby of our Earth in 2029, according to a media report.

an illustration of a metal-rich asteroid

Scientists map weird metal asteroid that NASA spacecraft will launch to this year

By Andrew Jones published

Planetary scientists have created a new, detailed map of the asteroid Psyche, providing a tantalizing preview of the target for a NASA mission set to launch later this year.

A bright star against a black background

NASA's DART asteroid-impact probe spots the bright star Vega

By Elizabeth Howell published

In a bid to figure out light scattering, NASA's asteroid-smashing mission did a bit of star-spotting while cruising to its destination.

Lucy's eight target asteroids

NASA's Lucy mission adds 9th asteroid to its list of attractions

By Rahul Rao published

NASA's Lucy mission has gained a new destination: a tiny asteroid that's orbiting one of its original target asteroids.

A diagram shows the orbit of 'Ayló'chaxnim.

Newly spotted asteroid near Venus earns name from Pauma band of Native Americans

By Stefanie Waldek published

Scientists at the Palomar Observatory turned to the Pauma band, upon whose ancestral lands the facility sits, to name the asteroid, now dubbed 'Ayló'chaxnim, or 'Venus girl.'

Asteroid Phaethon is one of the bluest objects in the solar system.

How the bluest asteroid in the solar system got its color

By Tereza Pultarova published

Scientists have an explanation for asteroid Phaethon's trademark color.

NASA’s Lucy mission will be the first to visit the Trojan asteroids.

NASA's Lucy asteroid spacecraft solar array rescue efforts continuing

By Andrew Jones published

NASA's Lucy mission team is continuing efforts to correct the incomplete deployment of one of the spacecraft's solar arrays as it continues to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids.

An artist's depiction of the Hayabusa2 spacecraft at the asteroid Ryugu.

Asteroid Ryugu contains material older than the planets, among the most primitive ever studied on Earth

By Keith Cooper published

Analysis of Hayabusa2's samples from the asteroid Ryugu shows they date to before the formation of the planets.

Artist's illustration of the metallic asteroid Psyche.

NASA's Psyche mission delay means change of targets for secondary asteroid probes

By Andrew Jones published

Psyche's liftoff has been pushed from Aug. 1 to no earlier than Sept. 20.

An asteroid flying past Earth.

Asteroid the size of 3 blue whales zooms past Earth safely

By Tereza Pultarova published

An asteroid the size of three blue whales just zoomed past Earth. But don't worry, Earthlings were not at risk.

An artist's impression of a potentially hazardous asteroid passing close to Earth.

Infamous asteroid Apophis 'rediscovered' as scientists test asteroid defense mechanisms

By Keith Cooper published

A test of whether asteroid surveys could spot a potentially hazardous asteroid successfully rediscovered Apophis and ruled out the possibility of it striking Earth for the next 100 years.