|
|
During the formation of the Solar System, small bits of rock and ice accumulated into bodies of ever increasing size. Because of their strong gravity, the largest objects were most efficient at accreting mass, and so the end result was a Solar System consisting of a small number of large planets. But some of the debris survived: rocky objects inside the orbits of Jupiter are known as asteroids while icy bodies in the outer Solar System are called comets. To read more about this leftover debris from Solar System formation click here.
Return to the Astronomy Workshop