- Asteroids Orbit The Sun
- Major Asteroid Impacts On Earth
- Most Asteroids Orbit The Sun Between
- Asteroids Orbit The Sun Between
Asteroids mainly orbit between Mars and Jupiter, though some, called NEOs (Near Earth Objects) orbit the sun in eccentric orbits, some even crossing the Earth's orbit. There is also the Kuyper. 2 days ago The asteroids 2016 QE45 and 2021 FK3 are due to speed past our planet tonight and Saturday on what will be their closest orbital approaches for years. The two space rocks are in orbit.
This list contains many notable Near-Earth asteroids organised by their average distance from the Sun, and includes the planets and distances for comparability. It does not pretend to completeness.
| Name | Average Distance from Sun (au) | Groups |
|---|---|---|
| Objects Inside Mercury's Zone of Influence | ||
| (None discovered) | ||
| Objects in Mercury's Zone of Influence | ||
| Mercury | 0.387 | Planet |
| Objects between Mercury's and Venus' Zones of Influence | ||
| (164294) 2004 XZ130 | 0.62[citation needed] | Atira asteroid, Mercury-crosser asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid |
| (434326) 2004 JG6 | 0.635 | Atira asteroid, Mercury-crosser asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid |
| 66391 Moshup | 0.642 | Aten asteroid, Mercury-crosser asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid |
| Objects in Venus' Zone of Influence | ||
| (33342) 1998 WT24 | 0.718 | Aten asteroid, Mercury-crosser asteroid, |
| Venus | 0.723 | Planet |
| (524522) 2002 VE68 | 0.724 | Aten asteroid, Mercury-crosser asteroid, |
| (99907) 1989 VA | 0.729 | Aten asteroid, Mercury-crosser asteroid, |
| Objects between Venus' and Earth's Zones of Influence | ||
| (163693) Atira | 0.74 | Atira asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid |
| (363505) 2003 UC20 | 0.781[citation needed] | Aten asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid |
| 2001 BA16 | 0.811[citation needed] | Aten asteroid |
| 2004 FH | 0.817 | Aten asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid |
| 2004 FU162 | 0.826 | Aten asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid |
| (137924) 2000 BD19 | 0.876 | Aten asteroid, Mercury-crosser asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 2003 SW130 | 0.885[citation needed] | Aten asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid |
| 2002 EM7 | 0.921[citation needed] | Aten asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid |
| 99942 Apophis | 0.923 | Aten asteroid |
| 1993 DA | 0.935[citation needed] | Aten asteroid |
| 2062 Aten | 0.967 | Aten asteroid |
| 3554 Amun | 0.974 | Aten asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid |
| 2000 SG344 | 0.977 | Aten asteroid, Arjuna asteroid |
| 2001 FR85 | 0.982[citation needed] | Aten asteroid, Arjuna asteroid |
| Objects in Earth's Zone of Influence | ||
| 3362 Khufu | 0.9895 | Aten asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| (209215) 2003 WP25 | 0.9909[citation needed] | Aten asteroid |
| (49040) 1998 RO | 0.9910[citation needed] | Aten asteroid, Mercury-crosser asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid |
| (162015) 1994 TF2 | 0.9931[citation needed] | Aten asteroid |
| 2002 AA29 | 0.9963 | Aten asteroid, Earth co-orbital asteroid |
| 2003 YN107 | 0.9971 | Aten asteroid, Earth co-orbital asteroid |
| 3753 Cruithne | 0.9978 | Aten asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| (85770) 1998 UP1 | 0.9989 | Aten asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid |
| Earth | 1.0000 | Planet |
| (164207) 2004 GU9 | 1.0004[citation needed] | Apollo asteroid, Earth co-orbital asteroid |
| 54509 YORP | 1.0012 | Apollo asteroid |
| (138852) 2000 WN10 | 1.0017[citation needed] | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid |
| 2001 GO2 | 1.00674 | Apollo asteroid, Earth co-orbital asteroid |
| 2001 XX4 | 1.0065[citation needed] | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 10563 Izhdubar | 1.0068 | Apollo asteroid |
| Objects between Earth's and Mars' Zones of Influence | ||
| 4581 Asclepius | 1.022 | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid |
| 1991 VG | 1.027 | Apollo asteroid, Arjuna asteroid |
| 1999 CG9 | 1.061[citation needed] | Apollo asteroid, Arjuna asteroid |
| 4769 Castalia | 1.063 | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| (444004) 2004 AS1 | 1.070 | Apollo asteroid |
| (433953) 1997 XR2 | 1.077 | Apollo asteroid |
| 1566 Icarus | 1.078 | Apollo asteroid, Mercury-crosser asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 2063 Bacchus | 1.078 | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid |
| (143649) 2003 QQ47 | 1.085 | Apollo asteroid |
| 2002 MN | 1.815 | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| (163132) 2002 CU11 | 1.22[citation needed] | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 1998 KY26 | 1.232 | Apollo asteroid |
| 2003 XJ7 | 1.243[citation needed] | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 1620 Geographos | 1.245 | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 3200 Phaethon | 1.271 | Apollo asteroid, Mercury-crosser asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 25143 Itokawa | 1.324 | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| (185851) 2000 DP107 | 1.366 | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 1685 Toro | 1.367 | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| (35396) 1997 XF11 | 1.443 | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 433 Eros | 1.458 | Amor asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| (137108) 1999 AN10 | 1.459 | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 4660 Nereus | 1.490 | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 2003 SQ222 | 1.505[citation needed] | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, |
| Objects in Mars' Zone of Influence | ||
| Mars | 1.5236 | Planet |
| Objects between Mars' Zone of Influence and the Main Asteroid Belt | ||
| 69230 Hermes | 1.654 | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| (29075) 1950 DA | 1.698 | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| (154276) 2002 SY50 | 1.706 | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| (89959) 2002 NT7 | 1.735 | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 1981 Midas | 1.776 | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 3352 McAuliffe | 1.879 | Amor asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 1866 Sisyphus | 1.894 | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 1221 Amor | 1.920 | Amor asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 3908 Nyx | 1.926 | Amor asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 4183 Cuno | 1.982 | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 2002 NY40 | 2.047 | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| Near-Earth asteroids in Main Asteroid Belt | ||
| 2201 Oljato | 2.172 | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 4486 Mithra | 2.204 | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 2001 WN15 | 2.275 | Apollo asteroid, Mercury-crosser asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 4197 Morpheus | 2.300 | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| (52760) 1998 ML14 | 2.417 | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| (20826) 2000 UV13 | 2.432 | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 6489 Golevka | 2.497 | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| (399457) 2002 PD43 | 2.516 | Apollo asteroid, Mercury-crosser asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 4179 Toutatis | 2.522 | Apollo asteroid, Alinda asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 2001 EC | 2.58 | Apollo asteroid, Venus-crosser asteroid, |
| 719 Albert | 2.634 | Amor asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 1036 Ganymed | 2.661 | Amor asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| 107P/Wilson-Harrington | 2.639 | Apollo asteroid, periodic comet, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| (53319) 1999 JM8 | 2.708 | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid |
| (214088) 2004 JN13 | 2.869 | Apollo asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid, aka 2004 JN13 |
| Near-Earth asteroids between the Main Asteroid Belt and Jupiter's Zone of Influence | ||
| Near-Earth asteroids between Jupiter's and Saturn's Zones of Influence | ||
| Near-Earth asteroids between Saturn's and Uranus' Zones of Influence | ||
| 1999 XS35 | 17.915 | Apollo asteroid, Damocloid asteroid, Mars-crosser asteroid, Jupiter-crosser asteroid, Saturn-crosser asteroid, Uranus-crosser asteroid, Neptune-crosser asteroid |
| Near-Earth asteroids between Uranus' and Neptune's Zones of Influence |
References[edit]
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.
The current known asteroid count is: .
Most of this ancient space rubble can be found orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter within the main asteroid belt. Asteroids range in size from Vesta — the largest at about 329 miles (530 kilometers) in diameter — to bodies that are less than 33 feet (10 meters) across. The total mass of all the asteroids combined is less than that of Earth's Moon.
Go farther.Explore Asteroids In Depth ›
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Did You Know?Did You Know?
The total mass of all the asteroids in the main asteroid belt combined is less than that of Earth's Moon.
Asteroids Orbit The Sun
Kid-Friendly Asteroids
Kid-Friendly Asteroids
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.
Some asteroids go in front of and behind Jupiter. They are called Trojans. Asteroids that come close to Earth are called Near Earth Objects, NEOs for short. NASA keeps close watch on these asteroids.
Major Asteroid Impacts On Earth
Asteroids are left over from the formation of our solar system.
Visit NASA Space Place for more kid-friendly facts.
NASA Space Place: All About Asteroids ›Most Asteroids Orbit The Sun Between
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Asteroids Orbit The Sun Between
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