• Question: How are asteroid belts formed?

    Asked by to Alan on 17 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Alan Fitzsimmons

      Alan Fitzsimmons answered on 17 Mar 2014:

      The asteroid belt is really the left over bits and pieces from the formation of the planets, 4,567 million years ago. Originally our Solar system formed from a huge rotating disk of gas and microscopic bits of rock (we call it dust!). The centre collapsed and heated up to form our Sun. In some parts of the disk the cosmic dust stuck together to form stones, boulders and asteroids, and eventually planets including Earth. Asteroid belts are formed in regions where there’s not enough left to get together and form planet. In our Solar system that happened between Mars and Jupiter to make our Asteroid Belt, and out beyond Neptune to form the Kuiper Belt. We also see asteroid belts around other stars.

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