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On average the distance between the asteroids is about 965,600 km (600,000 miles), [68] [69] although this varies among asteroid families and smaller undetected asteroids might be even closer. The total mass of the asteroid belt is estimated to be 2.39 × 10 21 kg, which is 3% of the mass of the Moon. [ 2 ]
The asteroid and comet belts orbit the Sun from the inner rocky planets into outer parts of the Solar System, interstellar space. [ 16 ] [ 17 ] [ 18 ] An astronomical unit , or AU, is the distance from Earth to the Sun, which is approximately 150 billion meters (93 million miles). [ 19 ]
This list includes few examples since there are about 589 asteroids in the asteroid belt with a measured radius between 20 and 49 km. [162] Many thousands of objects of this size range have yet to be discovered in the trans-Neptunian region.
The Kuiper belt is a great ring of debris similar to the asteroid belt, but consisting mainly of objects composed primarily of ice. [195] It extends between 30 and 50 AU from the Sun. It is composed mainly of small Solar System bodies, although the largest few are probably large enough to be dwarf planets. [ 196 ]
intermediate main-belt (2.5 AU < a < 2.82 AU) outer main-belt (a > 2.82 AU) A plot of inner solar system asteroids and planets as of 2006 May 9, in a manner that exposes the Kirkwood gaps. Similar to the position plot, planets (with trajectories) are orange, Jupiter being the outer most in this view. Various asteroid classes are colour coded ...
Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid, aka 2004 JN 13: Near-Earth asteroids between the Main Asteroid Belt and Jupiter's zone of influence: Near-Earth asteroids between Jupiter's and Saturn's zones of influence: Near-Earth asteroids between Saturn's and Uranus' zones of influence: 1999 XS 35: 17.915: Apollo asteroid, Damocloid asteroid, Mars ...
The second- through fifth-largest asteroids have been discussed as candidates. Vesta (radius 262.7 ± 0.1 km ), the second-largest asteroid, appears to have a differentiated interior and therefore likely was once a dwarf planet, but it is no longer very round today. [ 74 ]
The average distance to the Moon (or lunar distance (LD)) is about 384,400 km (238,900 mi), which is around 30 times the diameter of the Earth. [3] Below are lists of close approaches less than one LD for a given year. (See also near-Earth asteroids and NEO Earth Close Approaches.)