asteroid belt

American  

[as-tuh-roid belt] / ˈæs təˌrɔɪd ˌbɛlt /

noun

Astronomy.

1. the region in space between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, containing the greatest population of asteroids in our solar system: comprising about half the mass of the asteroid belt are its four largest asteroids, namely, Ceres, Pallas, Vesta, and Hygieia.

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asteroid belt Cultural  

1. A region of the solar system between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. Most asteroids are found in the asteroid belt.

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Etymology

Origin of asteroid belt

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

asteroid belt

"These rare events, triggered by large, well-positioned collisions in the main asteroid belt, bombard all inner solar system worlds," Bottke said.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026

Those differences may indicate that the parent asteroids formed at different times or in different regions of the solar system before eventually moving into the main asteroid belt.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026

The maneuver sends Psyche on a direct route toward its target in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

From Science Daily ● May 26, 2026

NASA’s Amit Kshatriya, the man behind Artemis, on the race with China to reach Mars, the asteroid belt and Jupiter’s moons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

She used telescopes to study near-Earth asteroids—those close enough to the edge of the asteroid belt that they could escape and come toward Earth!

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas