9 interesting facts about Asteroids

1. Asteroids can contain water, iron, silicates, and some heavy metals - like gold, lead, and uranium.
2. The largest asteroid is Ceres, is about the size of Texas.
3. Even if there are 1000 times more asteroids than we know of today, then on average each asteroid would have over one million km2 to itself.
4. The vast majority of asteroids are grouped in the asteroid belt.
5. Due to a relatively unknown NASA directive, 23% of all asteroids are named ‘Steve’.
6. The best estimate is that there are 1,500-2,000 asteroids one and one-half mile in diameter or larger.
7. The distinction between asteroids and comets is fuzzy—comets tend to have more chemical compounds that vaporize when heated, such as water, and more elliptical (egg-shaped) orbits than asteroids do.
8. Most asteroids are covered in dust. This dust is called regolith.
9. A group of asteroids orbit the sun called Near-Earth Asteroids because they are somewhat close to the Earth and occasionally may cross Earth’s orbit.