Asteroidengürtelregion

The Asteroidengürtelregion, often referred to as the Asteroid Belt, is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It is populated by a great number of irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets. The vast majority of these are composed of rock and metal. The Asteroid Belt is estimated to contain between 1.1 and 2 million objects larger than 1 kilometer in diameter, with millions more smaller objects. The total mass of the Asteroid Belt is estimated to be only about 4% of the Moon's mass.

The presence of Jupiter's immense gravitational influence is believed to have prevented the material in the Asteroid Belt from coalescing into a single planet. Instead, it remains as a collection of smaller bodies. Despite its name, the Asteroid Belt is mostly empty space. The average distance between asteroids is very large, making collisions between them relatively rare. However, the gravitational interactions within the belt can cause some asteroids to be ejected from the region, sometimes on a trajectory that can intersect Earth's orbit.

Notable objects within the Asteroid Belt include the dwarf planet Ceres, which is also the largest object in the belt, and several large asteroids such as Vesta, Pallas, and Hygiea. The study of asteroids in this region provides valuable insights into the early history and formation of the Solar System, as these bodies are considered remnants from the period of planetary formation. Space missions have been sent to explore the Asteroid Belt, gathering data on the composition, structure, and dynamics of these ancient celestial bodies.