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

A large rock in space surrounded by smaller rocks

Asteroid four times the size of the Empire State Building barreling toward Earth on May 27

By Brandon Specktor last updated

The near-Earth asteroid 7335 (1989 JA) will make a close approach to our planet on May 27, 2022, flying within about 2.5 million miles of Earth.

An astronaut stands in front of an American flag on the moon.

Wealthy nations are carving up space and its riches — and leaving other countries behind

By Theodora Ogden published

Nations that don't have their own satellites rely on other countries, and those that want to develop their own satellite infrastructure are running out of options as space fills up.

A simulation of how the Earth and moon will appear to the Lucy spacecraft around the time of the total lunar eclipse on May 15, 2022.

NASA's asteroid explorer Lucy spotted disappearing moon during the lunar eclipse

By Tereza Pultarova published

NASA's Lucy spacecraft, which is currently on its way to asteroids orbiting the sun at the same distance as Jupiter, watched the moon disappear during the total lunar eclipse on May 15.

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

Wild Apophis asteroid spacecraft concept would loft tiny, laser-driven probes for 2029 flyby

By Elizabeth Howell published

An early-stage mission concept could see laser-driven light-sail probes visit a notorious asteroid.

Asterioid Rush title card.

New 'Asteroid Rush' doc looks at peril and promise of space rocks (exclusive sneak peek video)

By Scott Snowden last updated

A killer asteroid will line Earth up in its crosshairs eventually. Can be we ever be properly prepared?

An artist’s illustration of the asteroid Kamo’oalewa, the target of China’s Tianwen 2 asteroid-sampling mission. Some astronomers think Kamo’oalewa may be a blasted-off chunk of Earth’s moon.

China to launch Tianwen 2 asteroid-sampling mission in 2025

By Andrew Jones published

The Tianwen 2 mission will sample an asteroid, return to Earth and then head out again to study a second space rock.

A simulation of how the Earth and moon will appear to the Lucy spacecraft.

NASA's Lucy asteroid probe will watch the Super Flower Blood Moon eclipse from deep space

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

NASA's Lucy mission, bound for asteroids that orbit the sun at the same distance as Jupiter, will watch the moon's reflected sunlight disappear during a lunar eclipse.

Sir David Attenborough holds an ammonite as a CGI pterosaur and T. rex loom behind him, with an asteroid streaking across the sky.

Cretaceous asteroid armageddon ignites TV screens in 'Dinosaur Apocalypse'

By Patrick Pester published

'Dinosaur Apocalypse,' a PBS NOVA special narrated by Sir David Attenborough, attempts to reconstruct the day Earth was hit by an asteroid 66 million years ago.

A Hubble image taken on Dec. 5, 2005 of the Main Belt asteroid 2001 SE101 passing in front of the Crab Nebula.

Astronomers discover asteroid treasure trove in old Hubble Space Telescope data

By Chelsea Gohd published

Astronomers have revealed the trails of nearly 1,500 new asteroids hidden in data gathered by NASA's most venerable space telescope.

Asteroid flybys are common, and we usually can see them coming.

A giant asteroid the size of a building just safely zoomed past Earth overnight

By Elizabeth Howell published

A building-sized asteroid whizzed by our planet overnight at a very safe distance, just like all the other giant space rocks we know of.

When we say asteroid 'flyby,' none of those space rocks will come anywhere near this close.

2 big asteroids whiz past Earth in the next week. No, they definitely won't hit us.

By Elizabeth Howell published

There are two asteroids making very safe flybys of Earth in the coming days.

An illustration of the new radar system being developed by National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the Green Bank Observatory.

Ground-based radar could be one of our best tools against asteroids, new decadal survey finds

By Stefanie Waldek last updated

According to the new decadal survey, one of the best tools to help protect the planet against the impact of near-Earth Objects (NEOs) is ground-based planetary radar.

Japan's Hayabusa 2 spacecraft will launch in 2014 on a mission to rendezvous with the asteroid 1999 JU3 in 2018 and return samples of the space rock to Earth in 2020.

Japan's asteroid samples faced surprise challenges on Earth: A pandemic, traffic jams and airport security

By Meghan Bartels published

Collecting rocks from an asteroid is rocket science; getting them to the lab is another story.

On April 27, 2022, a small meteor broke up in Earth's atmosphere, causing a fireball witnessed over the southeastern U.S.

Brilliant fireball over Mississippi sparks loud booms (and satellite photos)

By Chelsea Gohd published

Onlookers watched as a ball of fire streaked across southeastern skies yesterday (April 27).

NASA's Psyche spacecraft is seen in early 2022 on its way to the vacuum chamber at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

NASA's Psyche asteroid spacecraft passes shake-and-bake test and meets the press

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

NASA's Psyche is scheduled to launch in August to journey to a metal asteroid.

Artist's impression of an asteroid and Earth.

China could launch an asteroid deflection test mission in 2025: report

By Elizabeth Howell published

China is planning a kinetic asteroid defense mission no earlier than 2025 as part of a larger set of planetary shielding planning initiatives.

This artistic concept image shows an asteroid flying by Earth.

'Potentially hazardous' asteroid twice the size of the Empire State Building will skim past Earth Thursday, NASA says

By Ben Turner published

A gigantic "potentially hazardous" asteroid that may be twice the size of the Empire State Building is set to zoom past Earth Thursday (April 28), according to NASA.

An artist's depiction of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft studying the asteroid Apophis.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will visit asteroid Apophis

By Elizabeth Howell published

NASA's OSIRIS-REx will visit the infamous near-Earth asteroid Apophis.

Curiosity will be taking shots like this on Mars for another three years.

These 8 NASA missions just got more time to explore Mars, asteroids and the solar system

By Elizabeth Howell published

Mars, the moon and asteroids will get a deeper look from these spacecraft with eight NASA mission extensions.

Diagram of 2022 HB1's orbit ahead of a close approach April 26, 2022.

Watch a bus-sized asteroid safely zoom past Earth within the moon's orbit

By Elizabeth Howell published

You can watch a big asteroid make a safe flyby of Earth today (April 26) if you have strong Internet access.