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Picture Credit: NASA/JPL |
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Printable Page
Only on KBears.com, by the Knowledge Bears
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Visit
these amazing |
Picture Credit: NASA/JPL |
Visit
these amazing |
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Asteroids |
| An asteroid is
a rocky space object measuring anywhere from a few hundred feet to
several hundred kilometers. Most asteroids in our solar system are in orbit in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Over 40,000 asteroids stretch out more than 0.5 miles across. The two gravitational pulls from Jupiter and from the Sun help keep these asteroids orbiting in the belt. Occasionally, an asteroid can become a satellite of a planet if the gravitational pull of the planet is strong enough. Some believe this is how Phobos and Deimos (pictured here) became satellites of Mars. Although asteroids can seem similar to comets, the two are very different. Comets have tails of dust and particles, and asteroids are considered more like small planets or moons. |
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