An asteroid is a rocky object smaller than a planet and more prominent than a meteoroid that orbits the Sun. Most asteroids have irregular shapes, though a few are nearly spherical. They are often pitted or cratered because of the impacts of other asteroids.
Scientists and astronomers have identified around 30,039 near-Earth asteroids in the Solar System. Most of them are located in the central asteroid belt, a space region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
