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Q70 (CDS-I/2002) Science & Technology › Space & Defence Technology › Space astronomy missions Answer Verified

Bodies in the sky which are much smaller than the planets but are having orbits between the Mars and Jupiter are known as

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: A
Explanation

Celestial bodies that are significantly smaller than planets and orbit the Sun specifically between Mars and Jupiter are known as asteroids [c1][c2]. This region is referred to as the 'asteroid belt' or 'main belt,' located approximately 2.3 to 3.3 AU from the Sun [c2][t3]. Asteroids are remnants of the early solar system that failed to coalesce into a planet due to the gravitational interference of Jupiter [c2]. They are primarily composed of rocky and metallic minerals [c2][t1]. In contrast, comets are icy bodies that typically originate from the Kuiper Belt or Oort Cloud and possess highly elliptical orbits [c4][t1]. Meteors are the streaks of light produced when small space debris (meteoroids) enters Earth's atmosphere, and if they survive the descent to hit the ground, they are termed meteorites [t1][t6]. Therefore, the specific dynamical grouping between Mars and Jupiter defines asteroids [t5][t7].

Sources

  1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 2: The Solar System > UPSC Prelims 2011] What is difference between asteroids and comets? > p. 36
  2. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 2: The Solar System > Asteroid Belt > p. 32
  3. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 2: The Solar System > Comets > p. 33
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