Regions In Space: Asteroid Belt

The Asteroid Belt is a torus-shaped region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, containing millions of rocky bodies called asteroids. These range from the dwarf planet Ceres, about 945 km in diameter, to small pebbles, with a total mass less than 4% of Earth’s Moon.

It is located roughly 2.2 to 3.2 AU from the Sun.

Named the "Main Belt" to distinguish it from other asteroid populations, it reflects its primary location in the Solar System.

The belt formed 4.6 billion years ago when Jupiter’s gravity prevented planetesimals from coalescing into a planet, leaving fragmented remnants.

Significant events include the discovery of Ceres in 1801 by Giuseppe Piazzi, the Dawn spacecraft’s visits to Vesta (2011–2012) and Ceres (2015).

Ongoing studies of asteroid compositions reveal clues about the early Solar System.

Post Time: 20:00 NZST, August 4, 2025