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An asteroid is anything greater that 10 meters across that orbits the Sun
A meteoroid is a sand- to boulder-sized particle of debris in the Solar System.
The visible path of a meteoroid that entersEarth's (or another body's) atmosphere is called a meteor, or colloquially a shooting star or falling star. If a meteoroid reaches the ground and survives impact, then it is called a meteorite (or bolide as a flash in the sky).
The largest, and the first discovered asteroid, is Ceres with a diameter of about 900km (larger than the dwarf planet Pluto).
The asteroid that is assumed to have devastated the dinosaurs and created the Chicxulub crater was about 10km in diameter.
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∙ 8y ago
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∙ 11y agoThe biggest asteroids are about 500 miles in length; any larger, and their mass and internal gravity would cause them to collapse into a nearly spherical shape and reach "hydrostatic equilibrium". This is one of the criteria that the International Astronomical Union has set for "dwarf planet" status.
I'm not aware of a minimum size for an asteroid; space rocks that have made fairly close passes by the Earth have been described by NASA as being asteroids, even though their size was measured in mere feet. So you could consider any space object that's visible (before it hits the Earth's atmosphere and becomes a meteor) as an asteroid.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoThe size of asteroids can vary and the largest asteroid, Ceres, is about 583 miles in diameter. Other asteroids are about 20 feet in diameter while many in the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars are larger than 60 miles in diameter.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThe largest asteroid is Ceres, which is really now classed as a Dwarf Planet since it is just about massive enough to hold an elipsoid shape under its own gravity. It may also be referred to an asteroid though as it is part of the asteroid belt. This has a diameter of around 975km. there are two other fairly large asteroids known as Pallas and Vesta. these are around 500km in diameter, but have more irregular shapes. The smaller ones can be as small as you like, but obviously you wont be able to detect them down to a certain size or distance.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoWhen the mass of the asteroid is great enough that its own gravity crushes it into a spherical shape, then technically we ought to call it a "dwarf planet" rather than an asteroid. But this definition is fairly new, and many objects that we call "asteroids" are bigger than that.
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∙ 15y agoCeres used to be considered an asteroid, but the 2006 IAU convention redefined it as a "dwarf planet". I suppose Vesta is the next largest.
Vesta is about 530 KM in size, but isn't spherical; it is more "bean" shaped. Because it isn't spherical, it cannot be considered a "dwarf planet".
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoThe term "asteroid" can be applied to any space rock big enough to be visible while in space, but too small to be crushed into a spherical shape by its own gravity. If the space rock IS massive enough to become spherical because of its gravity, then it qualifies as a "dwarf planet" at least.
So the body called Ceres _used to be_ called an asteroid, because it was in the asteroid belt, but it is now considered a "dwarf planet". The slightly smaller body named Vesta is still an asteroid.
On the low end, there have been some fairly small rocks - in the tens of meters size - that NASA has called "asteroid".
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoThere isn't really a meaningful "average". Asteroids range in size from almost-planets to mere space rocks. I'm not sure that there is a minimum official size for an "asteroid".
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoTo put anyone at a calm state no its not gonna end the world.Its not that big but it is a fairly big size.If it hits its not gonna end the world.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoAnywhere between 10 meters (anything smaller is called a meteor), and the size of a small planet (thousands of kilometers).
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Is apophis a planet?
No. Apophis is an asteroid about the size of a skyscraper.
What is the meaning of the name apophis?
(mythology) The Greek name for the Egyptian mythological figure. The Egyptian name is w:Apep, Apep.(astronomy) A near-earth asteroid designated with the permanent number 99942. There is a Wikipedia article on W:99942 Apophis, 99942 Apophis.
Asteroid headed towards U.S.?
There is one known asteroid which has some slight probability of colliding with the Earth. (There are no doubt many things on a collision course with Earth of which we are blissfully unaware.) This asteroid is called Apophis. It is a space rock which will pass close to Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029. Apophis will not hit the Earth on that pass, but the worry is that there will be some gravitational perturbation that might cause Apophis to come closer than expected on Friday, April 13, 2037. Current calculations indicate that the chance of a collision is about one chance in 40,000. There are other rocks in space that will occasionally come close. Someday, one of them will hit us. We don't know when.
What will happen in 2029?
99942 Apophis is a 270m diameter near Earth asteroid that was thought to be on a collision course with Earth. It caused a panic in 2004 as it was thought that it might hit the earth in 2029. New calculations estimate that the asteroid will now most likely miss.
What If a piece of space debris is too large to be a meteoroid and too small to be a planet it could be?
It could be an asteroid or comet.
Is apophis a planet?
No. Apophis is an asteroid about the size of a skyscraper.
Is the meteor apophis blue?
First, Apophis as an asteroid, not a meteor. A meteor is an object that has entered the atmosphere. Apophis is probably gray in color.
What is the probability the asteroid 99942 Apophis will strike earth?
The answer to this can be found in the links I will place below.
Is 99942 Apophis a comet or meteor?
Neither; Apophis is an asteroid, and not especially large. It would bear no mention at all, except for the fact that on Friday, April 13, 2029 it will come within about 20,000 miles of the Earth, closer than the orbit of geosynchronous satellites. But it will miss.
How many life species will died out when if apophis hit the earth in 2029 or 2036?
about 60 or 70% of life species plus humans will died out when if the asteroid apophis when if hit the earth that asteroid is size of manhattan same size which killed off the dinosaurs
How big of crater would 99942 apophis asteroid make?
About the size of three football fields.
What is the meaning of the name apophis?
(mythology) The Greek name for the Egyptian mythological figure. The Egyptian name is w:Apep, Apep.(astronomy) A near-earth asteroid designated with the permanent number 99942. There is a Wikipedia article on W:99942 Apophis, 99942 Apophis.
What is massive asteroid?
a rather large asteroid
Asteroid headed towards U.S.?
There is one known asteroid which has some slight probability of colliding with the Earth. (There are no doubt many things on a collision course with Earth of which we are blissfully unaware.) This asteroid is called Apophis. It is a space rock which will pass close to Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029. Apophis will not hit the Earth on that pass, but the worry is that there will be some gravitational perturbation that might cause Apophis to come closer than expected on Friday, April 13, 2037. Current calculations indicate that the chance of a collision is about one chance in 40,000. There are other rocks in space that will occasionally come close. Someday, one of them will hit us. We don't know when.
Will apophis hit earth?
They don't think so, but it will be very close in 2029. There is more concern about the next time it comes by, but that's really not that far off, it will be in 2036. _____________________________________________ When Apophis comes close to Earth (and it will be VERY close on an astronomical scale - below the altitude of geosynchronous satellites!) on Friday, April 13, 2029, it WILL MISS. However, we cannot accurately predict PRECISELY how close it will come, and how the orbit of Apophis will be altered by the Earth's gravity. And when Apophis returns to near-Earth space, on Friday, April 13, 3036, there is a very small chance that it will strike the Earth. However, during the close pass in 2029, we will plant telemetry sensors and radar reflectors which will enable us to track it with perfect accuracy. And if we're smart - and nobody ever accused NASA of being smart! - we will also plant two very large nuclear weapons on Apophis. Then, several months later, when we've had time to calculate its orbit to see exactly where it will be in 2036, we can determine whether one or both of the weapons should be detonated to nudge Apophis into a safer orbit. And if it turns out that Apophis is not going to hit the Earth in 2036, then we can ignore them and watch the pretty asteroid scoot by. And in 2050 or so, we ought to be able to capture the asteroid and move it into a parking orbit, perhaps in the L4 or L5 points on the Moon's orbit. Just think; if this all works out, your grandchildren may live in the Apophis Station!
What is the name of the asteroid that will be near earth in 2029?
99942 Apophis is an asteroid where initial observations indicated a small probability (up to 2.7%) that it would strike the Earth in 2029.Later observations concluded that the asteroid would miss the Earth.The chances are now set at a one in 3 million that it will hit Earth.
Will there be a comet or asteroid that comes close to the earth in 2036?
No. There is no comet or asteroid or meteor going to hit the Earth. Most of it is superstition.
