An asteroid is a minor planet —an object larger than a meteoroid (thus 1 meter or larger) that is neither a planet nor an identified comet —that orbits within the inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter …

Apr 25, 2025 · Asteroids, sometimes called minor planets, are rocky, airless remnants left over from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. Most asteroids can be found orbiting …

Jan 13, 2026 · Asteroid, any of a host of small bodies, about 1,000 km (600 miles) or less in diameter, that orbit the Sun primarily between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in a nearly flat ring called the …

2 days ago · A 60-meter-wide asteroid, 2024 YR4, could collide with the Moon in December 2032, offering scientists an unprecedented chance to observe a powerful lunar impact.

1 day ago · A 200-foot asteroid has a 4 percent chance of hitting the moon in 2032—and we could see it If an incoming asteroid hits the moon, it'd be visible from Earth, according to a new study

Jan 28, 2026 · There's a bright side to every situation. In 2032, the Moon itself might have a particularly bright side if it is blasted by a 60-meter-wide asteroid. The chances of such an event are still …

3 days ago · If the building-size asteroid 2024 YR4 crashes into the moon in December 2032, the impact will produce a bright flash that may be visible to the naked eye, a new study finds.

Jul 28, 2023 · Using NASA definitions, an asteroid is "A relatively small, inactive, rocky body orbiting the sun," while a comet is a "relatively small, at times active, object whose ices can vaporize in...

If asteroid YR4 hits our Moon, it will cause a bright flash and meteors as debris hits Earth, say scientists who expect some of the ejected fragments to be pulled into our planet’s gravity well ...

There are three general types of asteroids: carbonaceous, stony, and metallic. They are called C-type, S-type, and M-type asteroids. The names are based on the type of material believed to make up …