10 Interesting the Asteroid Belt Facts

The Asteroid Belt Facts tell you about the circumstellar disc spotted between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars. This belt is included in the solar system. The asteroid belt features the various minor planets and asteroids. The celestial bodies in the belt are in irregular shapes. The scientists often call this asteroid belt as the main belt or main asteroid belt because this term will differentiate it from the other asteroid belts in the solar system like Trojan asteroid or near-earth asteroids. Here are other interesting facts about the asteroid belt:

The Asteroid Belt Facts 1: the four largest asteroids

Can you mention the four largest asteroids in the asteroid belts? Those include Hygiea, Pallas, Vesta and Ceres. Find facts about meteor here.

The Asteroid Belt Facts 2: the total mass

The total mass of asteroid belt occupies four percent of moon. If you compare the total mass of asteroid belt with Charon, the former one is twice bigger.

The Asteroid Belt Image

The Asteroid Belt Facts 3: the only dwarf planet

The only dwarf planet in the asteroid belt is Ceres. The diameter of Ceres is 950 kilometer. The diameter of Pallas, Vesta and Hygiea is not more than 600 kilometer. Get facts about space here.

The Asteroid Belt Facts 4: the tiny ones

The asteroid belt also contains various tiny items. The tiniest one can be in the size of a dust particle.

The Asteroid Belt Pic

The Asteroid Belt Facts 5: the groups of asteroids

There are three basic groups of individual asteroids based on their spectra. Those are the M-type or metal rich, S-type or silicate and C-type or carbonaceous.

The Asteroid Belt Facts 6: the collisions

The collisions often occur in the asteroid belt. Sometimes, the collision is very rough and violent. During the first 100 million years in the history of Solar System. 99.9 percent of the original mass of the asteroid belt was lost.

The Asteroid Belt

The Asteroid Belt Facts 7: C-type asteroids

The C-type asteroids contain the high amount of carbon. They can be found mostly at the outer region of asteroid belt. The C-type asteroids have low amount of albedo. Most of them have redder tone.

The Asteroid Belt Facts 8: the S-type asteroids

The S-type asteroids contain high amount of silicate.  You can find them at the inner belt. The albedo of the S-type asteroids is very high.

The Asteroid Belt Facts

The Asteroid Belt Facts 9: the M-type asteroids

The M-type asteroids contain high amount of metal. They occupy 10 percent of the total asteroids in the belt.

The Asteroid Belt Facts 10: the temperature

It is not easy to define the exact temperature of the asteroid belt for it is determined by the distance of the asteroid to the sun.

The Asteroid Belt Pictures

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