Ask a Teacher



what is asteroid?

Asteroids are rocky and metallic objects too small to be considered planets. They are sometimes called minor planets. They have their own orbits around the Sun and they rotate on their axis just like the Earth. The name asteroids, meaning "star-like", derives from the fact that, compared with comets, they are star-like in appearance because since they are rocky they do not emit the gases and dust that give comets their fuzzy appearance.



comments powered by Disqus