Astronomy Answers: From the Astronomical Dictionary

Astronomy Answers
From the Astronomical Dictionary


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The description of the word you requested from the astronomical dictionary is given below.

the asteroid

asteroid, plural asteroids; astron = [Greek] star, -oid = [Greek] -like

An asteroid is a rock that orbits the Sun. The largest asteroid has a diameter of about 1000 km, but most are much smaller than that. If they get small enough, then they are sometimes called meteoroids. Most asteroids orbit the Sun at distances between than of the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.