The asteroid belt is a region in space located between the planets Mars and Jupiter. It is filled with millions of rocky objects called asteroids. These asteroids are leftovers from the early solar system that never formed into a planet. They vary in size from tiny dust particles to the dwarf planet.
Most asteroids in the belt are made of rock and metal. They are categorized into different types based on their composition, such as carbonaceous (C-type), silicate (S-type), and metallic (M-type) asteroids.
The asteroid belt contains regions called Kirkwood gaps, which are areas with fewer asteroids. These gaps are caused by Jupiter's gravitational influence, which creates orbital resonances that clear out the asteroids.
Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt and is classified as a dwarf planet whereas Vesta is the second-largest object.
Despite containing millions of asteroids, the total mass of the asteroid belt is only about 4% of the Moon's mass. This is because most asteroids are quite small.
Asteroids in the belt are of interest for potential future resource extraction. Some contain valuable metals and minerals that could be mined for use in space exploration or brought back to Earth.
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