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Q61 (IAS/1997) Science & Technology › Space & Defence Technology › Orbital mechanics and orbits Answer Verified

The group of small pieces of rock - revolving round the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter are called

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: D
Explanation

The objects described are asteroids — small rocky bodies that orbit the Sun and are found predominantly in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Textual sources state asteroids are located mostly between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars and do not show cometary tails [1]. Educational material explains that many rocky remnants orbit the Sun in the area between Mars and Jupiter known as the asteroid belt, left over from planet formation [2]. By contrast, a meteor is the bright streak seen when a smaller meteoroid enters Earth’s atmosphere, and a meteorite is a piece that reaches the ground [3]. Hence the correct choice is asteroids.

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 > The Formation of the Planets > p. 18
  3. [3] https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/asteroid-or-meteor/en/
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