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Asteroids are rocky, airless worlds that orbit our sun, but are too small to be called planets. They range in size from dwarf planet Ceres, about 600 miles wide, to pebbles. Most asteroids are found in the main asteroid belt, a region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. However, some asteroids have orbits that take them much closer to Earth. These are called near-Earth asteroids.

Asteroids are remnants from the early formation of our solar system, about 4.6 billion years ago. They are made of rock, metals, and minerals. Scientists study asteroids to learn more about the solar system's history and the building blocks of planets. Some asteroids may even contain water ice and organic compounds, which could be important for future space exploration and potential resource utilization.

The vast majority of asteroids are found in the asteroid belt, but there are also groups that orbit the sun in other locations. These include Trojan asteroids, which share an orbit with a planet, and near-Earth asteroids, whose orbits bring them close to Earth. While most asteroids are harmless, a few have the potential to impact Earth, though such events are rare and typically involve very small objects. Space agencies monitor the sky for potentially hazardous asteroids.