Asteroid belt in the solar system is found between which of the follow...
Asteroids are small, rocky objects that orbit the Sun. Although asteroids orbit the Sun like planets, they are much smaller than planets. There are lots of asteroids in our solar system. Most of them live in the main asteroid belt—a region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Asteroid belt in the solar system is found between which of the follow...
The correct answer is option 'C' - The asteroid belt in the solar system is found between Mars and Jupiter.
Explanation:
The asteroid belt is a region of space located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It is a vast collection of rocky objects, known as asteroids, that orbit the Sun. These asteroids vary in size, ranging from small boulders to objects several hundred kilometers in diameter. The total mass of all the asteroids in the belt is estimated to be less than the mass of Earth's Moon.
The Asteroid Belt:
The asteroid belt is situated in the inner part of the solar system, closer to the Sun than the outer planets. It is located at a distance of about 2.2 to 3.2 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun. One AU is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, which is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers.
Formation of the Asteroid Belt:
The asteroid belt is believed to be the remnants of a failed planet formation process. It is thought that the gravitational influence of Jupiter prevented the small rocky objects in this region from coalescing into a single planet. Instead, these objects remained as individual asteroids.
Characteristics of Asteroids:
Asteroids are primarily composed of rocky and metallic materials. They have irregular shapes and do not have a well-defined atmosphere or solid surface. They revolve around the Sun in elliptical orbits, with varying inclinations and eccentricities. Some asteroids even have their own moons.
Exploration of the Asteroid Belt:
Several spacecraft missions have been launched to study and explore asteroids in the belt. Notable missions include NASA's Dawn mission, which orbited the dwarf planet Ceres in the asteroid belt, and the Japanese Hayabusa mission, which returned a sample from the asteroid Itokawa.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the asteroid belt is located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It is a region of space filled with numerous rocky objects, known as asteroids. The presence of Jupiter's gravitational influence prevented the formation of a single planet in this region. The study of asteroids in the belt provides valuable insights into the early history and formation of our solar system.