Question map
The Asteroid Belt is found between which of the following?
Explanation
The Asteroid Belt, also known as the Main Belt, is a vast region of space located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter [c2][t2]. It consists of millions of rocky and metallic bodies, ranging from microscopic dust to large objects like Ceres, which are remnants of the early solar system that failed to coalesce into a planet due to the intense gravitational interference of Jupiter [c2][c3][t1]. This belt lies approximately 2.2 to 3.3 Astronomical Units (AU) from the Sun [c2][t2]. While asteroids are scattered throughout the solar system, the highest concentration is found in this circular chain between the fourth and fifth planets [c2][t7]. The gravitational influence of Jupiter continues to sculpt the belt's boundaries and create gaps, such as the Kirkwood gaps, within the population [t6].
Sources
- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 2: The Solar System > Asteroid Belt > p. 32
- [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 2: The Solar System > The Formation of the Planets > p. 18
- [3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/asteroid