Space: Mars and the Asteroid Belt Lesson

Mars

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Asteroids

• Bodies in the solar system that orbit the Sun

• Typically made of rock and metal but can also contain organic compounds.

• Very greatly in size and can be as large as hundreds of miles wide.

• Mainly made of materials left over from the formation of the solar system.

• Similar to comets but do not have a coma (tail) that is visible.

Asteroid Belt

• Most orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter, although some orbit closer.

• The asteroid belt is divided into an inner belt and an outer belt.

• The inner belt is made up of asteroids and contains asteroids that are made of metals.

• The outer belt consists of rocky asteroids.

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FUN FACT

Many scientists believe that an asteroid impact was the cause behind the extinction of the dinosaurs around 65 million years ago.