Asteroid: References & Edit History
More Articles On This Topic
- NeptuneNeptune’s discovery
- Centaur object
- Chiron
- cometGeneral considerations
- cometGeneral considerations
- cometThe modern era
- cometThe modern era
- Luis Alvarez
- Cretaceous PeriodMass extinction
- extinctionMass extinctions
- dinosaurThe asteroid theory
- Earth impact hazard
- meteoriteMeteorites and the formation of the early solar system
- Galileo
- How Big Was the Asteroid That Contributed to Dinosaur Extinction?
- micrometeoroid
- MarsCharacter of the surface
- meteorite crater
- meteorite
- meteoriteAssociation of meteorites with asteroids
- AstronomyInvestigations of the smaller bodies
- planetesimal
- OSIRIS-REx
- physical scienceNew discoveries
- planetary defense
- planetPlanets of the solar system
- small body
- solar systemAsteroids and comets
- Celestial mechanicsChaotic orbits
- Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer
- Max Wolf
Additional Reading
Summary articles about asteroids can be found in Richard P. Binzel, M. Antonietta Barucci, and Marcello Fulchignoni, “The Origins of the Asteroids,” Scientific American, 265(4):88–94 (October 1991); and Clark R. Chapman, “Asteroids,” in J. Kelly Beatty, Carolyn C. Petersen, and Andrew Chaikin (eds.), The New Solar System, 4th ed. (1999), pp. 337–350. Review and research papers are collected in Richard P. Binzel, Tom Gehrels, and Mildred Shapley Matthews (eds.), Asteroids II (1989); C.-I. Lagerkvist et al. (eds.), Asteroids, Comets, Meteors III (1990); Tom Gehrels (ed.), Hazards Due to Comets & Asteroids (1994); Alan W. Harris and Edward Bowell (eds.), Asteroids, Comets, Meteors 1991 (1992); Andrea Milani, Mario Di Martino, and Alberto Cellino (eds.), Asteroids, Comets, Meteors 1993 (1994); William F. Bottke, Jr., et al. (eds.), Asteroids III (2002); and Daniela Lazzaro, Sylvio Ferraz-Mello, and Julio A. Fernández (eds.), Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors (2006).
Article Contributors
Primary Contributors
-
Edward F. Tedesco
Research Associate Professor, Space Science Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham.
Other Contributors
Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors
Article History
| Type | Description | Contributor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Article title updated for style. | Nov 09, 2026 | ||
| Modified link of Web site: NASA - Asteroids. | Oct 28, 2026 | ||
| Updated discussion of Lucy mission. | Sep 10, 2026 | ||
| Media added. | Mar 25, 2026 | ||
| Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - No exotic matter in asteroids. | Mar 06, 2026 | ||
| Add new Web site: CUNY Pressbooks Network - Introduction to Planetary Geology - Asteroids. | Dec 24, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: K12 LibreTexts - Asteroids. | Sep 17, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: LiveScience - What are asteroids? | May 30, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: Frontiers - Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences - Predicting Asteroid Types: Importance of Individual and Combined Features. | Jan 03, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: Lunar and Planetary Institute - Asteroids: New Challenges, New Targets. | Aug 16, 2024 | ||
| Added material about the DART test changing Dimorphos's shape. | Mar 04, 2024 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Oct 31, 2023 | ||
| Changed “is scheduled to return to Earth in September 2023” to “returned its sample from Bennu to Earth on September 24, 2023.” | Sep 25, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: University of Central Florida Pressbooks - Asteroids. | Jul 13, 2023 | ||
| Added material about interstellar objects. | Mar 06, 2023 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Feb 23, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Openstax - Astronomy 2e - Asteroids. | Feb 03, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Space.com - Asteroids: Fun facts and information about these space rocks. | Sep 14, 2022 | ||
| Removed media. | Dec 22, 2021 | ||
| Removed a video. | Feb 18, 2021 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Feb 18, 2021 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Jun 15, 2018 | ||
| Media added. | Apr 29, 2016 | ||
| Media added. | Apr 13, 2016 | ||
| Added video. | Apr 16, 2015 | ||
| Numbers of Atira, Amor, Aten, and Apollo asteroids updated. | Mar 13, 2015 | ||
| Date of rediscovery of Ceres by Zach changed from "January 1, 1802" to "December 7, 1801." Material about rediscovery of Ceres by Olbers in 1802 added. | Mar 13, 2015 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Mar 04, 2015 | ||
| Add new Web site: ESA Kids - Asteroids � The Minor Planets. | Feb 04, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: National Geographic - Science and Space - Asteroids and Comets. | Feb 04, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: The Natural History Museum - Asteroid. | Feb 04, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: HyperPhysics - Asteroid. | Jan 23, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: Enchanted Learning - Asteroid. | Jan 23, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum - Asteroid. | Jan 23, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: Buzzle.com - Asteroid. | Jan 23, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: Kids Astronomy - Our Solar System - Asteroid Facts. | Jan 23, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: European Space Agency - Science and Technology - Asteroid. | Jan 23, 2013 | ||
| Added discussion of Vesta's internal structure and protoplanetary nature. Updated for confirmation of Vesta as parent body of HED meteorites and extension of Dawn's mission. | Jun 26, 2012 | ||
| Add new Web site: Science Kids - Fun Science and Technology for Kids! - Asteroid Facts for Kids. | Mar 15, 2012 | ||
| Add new Web site: National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Asteroids. | Oct 18, 2011 | ||
| Number of Jupiter, Mars, and Neptune Trojans updated. Material added about the first Earth Trojan. | Aug 23, 2011 | ||
| Updated number of positions in Minor Planet Center database. Updated number of Atira, Aten, Apollo, and Amor asteroids. | Aug 23, 2011 | ||
| Updated for arrival of Dawn at Vesta on July 16, 2011. | Aug 23, 2011 | ||
| Add new Web site: Indian Child - Uranus. | Jul 22, 2011 | ||
| Add new Web site: How Stuff Works - Science - Is an asteroid scheduled to hit Earth in 2012? | Jul 14, 2011 | ||
| Updated number of asteroid positions in Minor Planet Center database. | Aug 11, 2010 | ||
| Updated number of Atira, Aten, Apollo, Amor, Thule, Cybele, and Jupiter Trojan asteroids. | Aug 11, 2010 | ||
| Updated information about Rosetta flyby of (21) Lutetia. | Aug 11, 2010 | ||
| Add new Web site: National Maritime Museum - Asteroids. | Aug 10, 2010 | ||
| Deleted discussion of Apophis observations in 2029. Updated diameters and densities of Vesta and Pallas. Updated date of Dawn's arrival at and departure from Vesta from September to July 2011 and June to July 2012. | Jan 26, 2010 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Dec 11, 2009 | ||
| Added new Web site: Window To The Universe - Asteroids. | May 10, 2009 | ||
| Added new Web site: National Geographic - Science - Asteroids and Comets. | Apr 17, 2009 | ||
| Added new Web site: Sea and Sky - Asteroids and Comets. | Apr 16, 2009 | ||
| Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - Science - How Asteroids Work. | Feb 11, 2009 | ||
| Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - Science - What If An Asteroid Hit The Earth? | Dec 24, 2008 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | May 20, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: British Broadcasting Corporation - Science & Nature: Space - Asteroids. | Apr 10, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: The Nine Planets - Asteroid Facts. | Feb 28, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: The Planetary Society - Asteroids and Comets. | Feb 28, 2008 | ||
| Bibliography revised. | Mar 09, 2007 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Mar 09, 2007 | ||
| Added new Web site: NASA - Asteroids. | Nov 06, 2006 | ||
| Added new Web site: Window To The Universe - Our Solar System. | Jul 07, 2006 | ||
| Added new Web site: University of Tennessee - Astronomy 161: The Solar System. | Jun 30, 2006 | ||
| Added new Web site: The New York Times - Exploring the Solar System. | Jun 28, 2006 | ||
| Added new Web site: The Nine Planets - Phobos. | Jun 08, 2006 | ||
| Added new Web site: Enchanted Learning - All About Astronomy. | May 26, 2006 | ||
| Article added to new online database. | Aug 24, 1998 |
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