SYNCHRONIZING
PRE-RENDERING COSMIC GEOMETRY
Database Query· 5 tracked objects
Near-Earth Asteroids
Rocky remnants from the formation of our solar system, closely monitored for their orbital proximity to Earth and scientific value.
Main Belt LocationBetween Mars & Jupiter
Known Asteroids1.1+ million catalogued
Potentially Hazardous2,300+ tracked by NASA
Largest AsteroidCeres · 940 km diameter
First Sample ReturnRyugu (Hayabusa2, 2020)
Planetary DefenseDART mission confirmed
What are Asteroids?
Asteroids are rocky objects that orbit the Sun, most residing in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. They range from small boulders to dwarf planets like Ceres (940 km wide), and are primordial remnants from the solar system's formation ~4.6 billion years ago.
Near-Earth Objects (NEOs)
Some asteroids have orbits that bring them within 1.3 AU of the Sun, making them Near-Earth Objects. NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) continuously tracks over 36,000 NEOs to assess any potential impact risk to Earth.
Planetary Defense
NASA's DART mission (2022) successfully altered the orbit of asteroid Dimorphos, proving that kinetic impactors can deflect potentially hazardous asteroids — a landmark achievement for planetary defense science.
Bennu
A carbonaceous near-Earth asteroid studied by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, which collected a sample an…
Diameter490 m
Period1.2 years
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Ceres
The largest object in the asteroid belt and a dwarf planet. Contains water ice and was explored by N…
Diameter939 km
Period4.6 years
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Vesta
The second-largest asteroid in the belt with a giant impact crater at its south pole.
Diameter525 km
Period3.63 years
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Apophis
A near-Earth asteroid that will pass extremely close to Earth in 2029 — visible to the naked eye.
Diameter370 m
Period0.89 years
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Ryugu
A diamond-shaped near-Earth asteroid explored by JAXA's Hayabusa2 mission.
Diameter900 m
Period1.3 years
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