Asteroids

Why in news?

• NASA said that an asteroid identified as 2018VP1 is heading towards planet Earth.
• It also is a 0.41 per cent chance of the 6.5 feet-long asteroid hitting the planet.
• The asteroid is expected to pass near Earth on the eve of November 2.

About Asteroids:

• Asteroids are minor planets, especially of the inner Solar System.
• Larger asteroids have also been called planetoids.
• These terms have historically been applied to any astronomical object orbiting the Sun that did not resolve into a disc in a telescope and was not observed to have characteristics of an active comet such as a tail.
• Asteroid are generally about 1,000 km (600 miles) or less in diameter, and orbit the Sun primarily between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in a nearly flat ring called the asteroid belt.
• The first asteroid was discovered on January 1, 1801 and since then millions are confirmed to exist.

PRELIMS QUESTION

”2018VP1” , recently in news, is a:
(a)Comet
(b)Asteroid
(c)Dwarf Star
(d)Earth like Planet

Answer to prelims question