Jun 25, 2024, 10:47 AM IST
Asteroid Day 2024: 5 Mind-blowing Facts About Asteroids
Here are five facts about asteroids that will blow your mind.
1. Billions of years ago, when the solar system was being formed, asteroids originated from leftover rubble and rocks. They have remained unchanged ever since.
2. An asteroid belt is present between Mars and Jupiter. Millions of asteroids of various sizes exist in this belt and circle the sun in elliptical orbits.
3. Asteroids occasionally cross paths, strike, or crash into planets while they orbit the sun. Some of them become moons after being drawn in by a planet's gravity. This is how several moons of Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars originated.
4. A study conducted in 2013 revealed that asteroids can have rings around them, which are nothing but particles of dust circling them. Additionally, some asteroids have a tail-like extension formed due to collision with small asteroids.
5. Asteroids are rich in minerals and water. They have high amounts of carbon, silica and metals. Scientists say that some asteroids also have water-ice trapped in the rubble mass.
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