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Illustration of Asteroid Belts

A square illustration of our solar system from above, with the Sun at the center, out to the orbit of Jupiter.

The main asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter, and Trojan asteroids both lead and follow Jupiter. Scientists now know that asteroids were the original "building blocks" of the inner planets. Those that remain are airless rocks that failed to adhere to one another to become larger bodies as the solar system was forming 4.6 billion years ago.

  • Release Date
    February 25, 2021
  • Science Release
    Comet Makes a Pit Stop Near Jupiter’s Asteroids
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Illustration: NASA, ESA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)

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Related Images & Videos

Hubble image of young comet P/2019 LD2 shows a long tail of dust and gas flowing from the comet's bright solid nucleus

Trojan Asteroid 2019 LD2

Hubble Spots Vagabond Comet Near Jupiter's Asteroids NASA's Hubble Space Telescope snapped this image of the young comet P/2019 LD2 as it orbits near Jupiter's captured ancient asteroids, which are called Trojans. This icy object is the first comet astronomers have spotted near...

Compass and scale image of Trojan asteroid 2019 LD2

Trojan Asteroid 2019 LD2 Compass

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Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

Illustration Credit

NASA, ESA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)

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