The first asteroid was discovered on 1 January 1801 by Giuseppe Piazzi at Palermo Astronomical Observatory . It was named as Ceres . It was considered a planet, but later was named as asteroid when many similar objects were discovered.
Every year , June 30 is celebrated as World Asteroid Day . It is usually celebrated in order to raise public awareness about asteroid’s hazardous effects that may cause threat Earth in near future.
Tunguska was the largest asteroid which affected the earth till date.
Asteroids are small rocky body orbiting around the sun. They are found in a region of space between Mars and Jupiter . Large numbers of these, ranging enormously in size, are found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, though some have more eccentric orbits. They are also known as leftover material of the Solar System . Their size ranges from size of pebbles to around 600 miles across. There are several hundred thousand asteroids believed to exist in our Solar System.
Study of Asteroids is important because it tells us about the origins of the Solar System
Despite their size, asteroids can be dangerous. Many asteroids have hit Earth in the past, and more may crash into our planet in the future.
By ,
Mrs. Prajakta Joshi
S. B. Patil College of Science and Commerce
Ravet, Pune
