Asteroid Belt
- Asteroids are remnants of planetary formation that failed to coalesce because of the gravitational interference of Jupiter.
- They circle the Sun in a zone lying between Mars and Jupiter.
- The circular chain of asteroids is called the asteroid belt.
- Ceres (2.77 AU) is the largest asteroid, a protoplanet, and a dwarf planet.
Kuiper Belt
- The Kuiper belt is a great ring of debris like the asteroid belt but consists mainly of objects composed primarily of ice.
- It extends between 30 and 50 AU from the Sun.
- Pluto (39 AU) is the largest known object in the Kuiper belt and Charon is Pluto’s largest moon.
Oort Cloud
- Oort cloud is a giant shell of icy bodies that encircle the solar system occupying space at a distance between 5,000 and 100,000 AU.
Difference between Asteroid and Meteoroid
| Asteroid | Meteoroid |
| Asteroids are minor planets. | Meteorites are falling stars. |
| The orbital shape is elliptical and orbits the Sun | The orbital shape is elliptical and orbits the Sun but gets pulled into larger bodies. |
| Believed to be a leftover from the planet | Believed to be a smaller disintegrated element of a comet or asteroid. |
| Do not have an atmosphere | Do not produce an atmosphere, but burn up when falling into a planet. |
| 1 to more than 100 kilometres in diameter | Typically, less than 10 metres in diameter. |
Difference between Meteor and Meteorite
| Meteor | Meteorite |
| When Meteoroids are still up in the sky they are called Meteors. | When Meteoroids fall to the ground they are called Meteors. |