ASTROID Meaning and
Definition
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An asteroid is a celestial body that orbits the sun, typically found in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It is similar to a small planet or a minor planet, but it is significantly smaller in size compared to planets. Asteroids are rocky or metallic objects that vary in composition and can range in size from a few meters to hundreds of kilometers in diameter. They are remnants from the early formation of our solar system and are considered to be one of the building blocks of planets.
These rocky objects do not have an atmosphere and have irregular shapes, often resembling potatoes or rocks. The term "asteroid" was coined by the astronomer William Herschel in the early 1800s, derived from the Greek words "aster," meaning star, and "eidos," meaning form or shape. Their irregular orbits can sometimes bring them close to Earth, posing a potential impact threat.
Asteroids can be classified into different types based on their composition, such as carbon-rich (C-type), silicate-rich (S-type), and metallic (M-type). Studying asteroids can provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of our solar system, as well as the processes that shaped the planets. Space missions, such as NASA's Dawn and Japan's Hayabusa, have been launched to study and collect samples from asteroids, providing valuable data for scientific research.
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1. Star-shaped. 2. An astrocyte.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for ASTROID
- astroide
- asteroid
- astrode
- astrod
- zstroid
- sstroid
- wstroid
- qstroid
- aatroid
- aztroid
- axtroid
- adtroid
- awtroid
- asrroid
- asfroid
- asgroid
- asyroid
- as6roid
- as5roid
- astdoid
Etymology of ASTROID
The word "asteroid" is derived from the Greek word "asteroeidēs", which means "star-like" or "resembling a star". It is a combination of the Greek words "astēr" (star) and "-oeidēs" (resembling). This term was initially coined because early astronomers observed these objects as star-like points of light in the night sky. Over time, with advancements in astronomy, it became clear that asteroids are rocky objects orbiting the Sun, primarily found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Similar spelling words for ASTROID
- asteroidea,
- asteroidal,
- asterope,
- asteroid,
- astroglia,
- astrocyte,
- astronium,
- ash tree,
- astrolabe,
- ashtoreth,
- astrodome,
- astringe,
- astride,
- aster,
- astroloma,
- astor,
- astrogate,
- astraddle,
- astir,
- Astrid,
- astronomy,
- astrology,
- astronaut.
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