2038 asteroid
Asteroids, sometimes called minor planets, are rocky, airless remnants left over from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. The prospect of a 2038 asteroid has generated considerable interest among scientists and the public.
Most asteroids can be found orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter within the main asteroid belt. These bodies range in size from Vesta – the largest at about 329 miles (530 kilometers) in diameter – to much smaller bodies that are less than 33 feet (10 meters) across. Despite their vast numbers, the total mass of all the asteroids combined is less than that of Earth's Moon.
The current known asteroid count is at least 1,370,401. This figure includes dwarf planets and objects in the Kuiper Belt – a doughnut-shaped region of icy bodies extending far beyond the orbit of Neptune. Scientists refer to these worlds as Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) or trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). Trans-Neptunian objects are celestial bodies in our solar system that have orbits beyond Neptune. There may be millions of other icy worlds in the Kuiper Belt that were left over from the formation of our solar system, and the potential discovery of a significant 2038 asteroid adds to the intrigue surrounding these distant objects.
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