Are Asteroids Formed by Collisions or Accretion?

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In summary, asteroids and similar objects such as Kuiper belt objects and comets are formed through a slow accretion process similar to that of larger planets. Some may be the result of larger protoplanetary objects disintegrating, while others may have been seeds for full size planets if there was enough extra material available. Dust clumps in space are held together by static electricity, and collisions cause them to become more dense. Asteroids also contain a lot of metal, which can fuse together in a vacuum. Overall, asteroids are essentially small planets formed through the same process of accretion.
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Lamonte Johnson
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I ask this because most asteroids seem to small for gravity to compress them into stony material. Does this mean they are pieces dislodged in larger body collisions?
 
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Asteroids and similar objects such as Kuiper belt objects and comets, are thought to have been made by a similar slow accretion processes as have the larger planets.
Some of them might be the result of larger protoplanetary objects disintegrating for one reason or another.
The largest such objects, for example Ceres and Pluto, become highly consolidated and potentially could have been seeds for full size planets had there been sufficient extra material available that had not already been accreted into planets, but there wasn't sufficient.
 
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Asteroids start as clumps of dust, that gravity pulls together. But gravity is not strong enough to hold it together, you need something to cause tiny particles to stick together. Particles in space stick together because of static electricity, causing clumps that now look like dusty bunnies. Very very light, but firmly stuck together. Now what happens if you throw a dust bunny at another dust bunny? They might stick or bounce off, but both will end up at a slightly higher density than they were before. The energy of the collision cause the clump to rearrange, getting more and more dense. There is also a lot of metal is asteroids, metal has some strange properties that you don't notice here on earth. If you take a piece of iron and touch it to another piece of iron on Earth nothing happens, that's because there is a thin layer of rust covering both objects, in a vacuum though iron will instantly fuse to iron.
 
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An asteroid is merely a planetesimal formed by the usual accretion process insofar as I can see.
 

FAQ: Are Asteroids Formed by Collisions or Accretion?

1. How do asteroids form?

Asteroids are formed through a process known as accretion, where dust and gas particles in the early solar system come together to form larger bodies. These bodies then collide and combine to form protoplanets, which eventually become planets. Some of the remaining pieces that did not form into planets are what we now know as asteroids.

2. Where are asteroids typically found?

Asteroids can be found throughout our solar system, but they are most concentrated in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. They can also be found in other regions such as the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud.

3. How big are asteroids?

Asteroids vary in size, with some being as small as a grain of sand and others being hundreds of kilometers in diameter. The largest known asteroid, Ceres, has a diameter of about 940 km.

4. What are asteroids made of?

Asteroids are made up of a variety of materials, primarily rock and metal. Some also contain ice and other frozen substances. The composition of an asteroid can vary greatly depending on where it formed in the solar system.

5. Can asteroids collide with Earth?

Yes, asteroids can and do collide with Earth. However, the likelihood of a large asteroid impacting Earth is very low. NASA and other space agencies actively track and study asteroids to better understand their movements and potential risks to Earth.

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