Asteroid
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3
Not Comets
Asteroids are usually confused with comets; asteroids are rocky, while comets are icy and develop tails. The object didn’t have a tail, so it was an asteroid, not a comet.
Pro Tip 2/3
Not Just Belt
Although common in the asteroid belt, asteroids can be found throughout the solar system, even near Earth. NASA tracks near-Earth asteroids for potential impact risks.
Pro Tip 3/3
Size Variation
Asteroids can range in size from pebbles to nearly 1,000 km wide; size doesn’t change their classification. Dwarf planet Ceres is the largest asteroid in the belt.