WHAT IS AN ASTEROID?

 NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has predicted four consecutive asteroids to pass near Earth.

About Asteroid:

Asteroids are rocky remnants from the formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. They are also called minor planets.

1. Most of this ancient space debris can be found orbiting the Sun within the main asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter.
2. Asteroids are rocky, metallic or icy bodies that have no atmosphere. Asteroids vary in size and shape.

Asteroids are different from planets in a few ways:

1. Size: Some asteroids are hundreds of miles in diameter, but many are small.
2. Shape: Asteroids are not round like planets. They have jagged and irregular shapes.
3. Composition: Most asteroids are made of different kinds of rocks, but some have clays or metals, such as nickel and iron.

Asteroids are classified into three broad composition classes:

1. C-type (chondrite): The most common type of asteroid. They are dark in appearance and are probably composed of clay and silicate rocks.
2. S-types (stony): Made of silicate material and nickel-iron.
3. M-types: Metallic (nickel-iron).

Q1: What is a Comet?

1. A comet is a large, icy object that orbits the Sun and is made up of dust, ice, and small pieces of rock.
2. Comets are sometimes called "dirty snowballs" or "icy dirtballs", depending on whether they contain more ice or rocky debris.
3. When a comet's orbit brings it close to the Sun, it heats up and spits out dust and gases.
4. As comets approach the Sun, they may develop two tails: a straight gas tail and a curved dust tail.
5. Some comets are visible from Earth every few years, while others pass once in a person's lifetime. To people on Earth, they look like spots in the night sky.

Q2: What is the Kuiper Belt?