Don’t let the name fool you. Our solar system’s small bodies—asteroids, comets and meteors—pack big surprises. Asteroids and comets—and the meteors that sometimes come from them—are leftovers from the formation of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago. While the planets and moons have changed over the millennia, many of these small chunks of ice, rock and metal have not. They are a lot like a fossil record of planetary evolution.
These rocky fragments are leftovers from the beginning of our solar system.
Comets
Cosmic snowballs of gas and dust that make sweeping orbits around our sun.
Meteors & Meteorites
Shooting stars are actually bits of debris that fall through our atmosphere.
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Explore in 3D—Eyes on the Solar System
Eyes on the Solar System lets you explore the planets, their moons, asteroids, comets and the spacecraft exploring them from 1950 to 2050. Ride with the Curiosity Rover as it lands on Mars or fly by Pluto with the New Horizons spacecraft all from the comfort of your home computer.
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and 3,716 known comets.
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Asteroids, Comets & Meteors
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Don’t let the name fool you. Our solar system’s small bodies—asteroids, comets and meteors—pack big surprises. Asteroids and comets—and the meteors that sometimes come from them—are leftovers from the formation of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago. While the planets and moons have changed over the millennia, many of these small chunks of ice, rock and metal have not. They are a lot like a fossil record of planetary evolution.
These rocky fragments are leftovers from the beginning of our solar system.
Comets
Cosmic snowballs of gas and dust that make sweeping orbits around our sun.
Meteors & Meteorites
Shooting stars are actually bits of debris that fall through our atmosphere.
Eyes on the Solar System Ad
Explore in 3D—Eyes on the Solar System
Eyes on the Solar System lets you explore the planets, their moons, asteroids, comets and the spacecraft exploring them from 1950 to 2050. Ride with the Curiosity Rover as it lands on Mars or fly by Pluto with the New Horizons spacecraft all from the comfort of your home computer.