Best Main Belt

Asteroid 16 Psyche is a large, metallic body residing within the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It’s classified as an M-type asteroid, believed to be composed largely of iron-nickel material resembling a planetary core. NASA's Psyche mission aims to study this unique object, providing...

4 Vesta is a large asteroid residing within the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It’s notable for being the second-most massive object in this region and possesses a differentiated internal structure – meaning it has layers of varying composition like crust, mantle, and core. The Dawn mi...

Asteroid 90 Antiope is a medium-sized main-belt asteroid notable as a binary system. Discovered in 1866, it consists of two asteroids with similar dimensions that orbit one another. This system offers scientists valuable data regarding the dynamics and evolution of close binary objects within our so...

Asteroid 87 Sylvia is a substantial space rock residing within the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It’s particularly recognized for hosting two small moons, making it the first asteroid definitively identified with such a satellite system. This p-type object, part of a binary system, of...

The asteroid 10 Hygiea is a significant member of the Hygiea family within the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It’s notable for being the fourth largest asteroid by volume and possesses a surprisingly rounded shape, as indicated by recent research. This discovery, made in 1849, raises q...

Asteroid 21 Lutetia is a medium-sized rocky body residing within the main asteroid belt. Discovered in 1852 by Hermann Goldschmidt, it’s notable as an M-type asteroid—characterized by reddish hues and water-rich compositions. The Rosetta spacecraft conducted a detailed flyby of 21 Lutetia in July 20...

52 Europa is a substantial asteroid residing within the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Discovered in 1858 by Hermann Goldschmidt, it’s notable as one of the largest known C-type asteroids. These asteroids are characterized by their dark composition and icy nature. It presents scientifi...

24 Themis is a substantial main-belt asteroid within the Themis family. Discovered in 1853, it’s notable as the first asteroid confirmed to possess water ice on its surface. This C-type asteroid offers valuable insights into the composition and evolution of early solar system objects. Scientists stu...

15 Eunomia is a large asteroid located in the main asteroid belt, discovered by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis in 1851. Named after the Greek goddess of law and order, it is officially classified as the largest S-type asteroid in the solar system. Eunomia is the namesake and largest body of...

22 Kalliope is a large M-type asteroid situated in the main asteroid belt, discovered by English astronomer John Russell Hind in 1852. Named after the Greek muse of epic poetry, it features a diameter of roughly 160 kilometers, making it one of the more massive bodies in the belt. In 2001, astronome...

2 Pallas is the second-largest asteroid in the main asteroid belt, discovered by the German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers in 1802. Classified as a B-type asteroid, it is composed of silicate and carbon compounds, giving it a dark surface. Pallas follows a highly inclined orbit, tilted...

65 Cybele is a large main-belt asteroid discovered on March 8, 1861, by the German astronomer Ernst Tempel. It is classified as a C-type (carbonaceous) asteroid and has an estimated mean diameter of approximately 287 kilometers, making it one of the largest objects in the asteroid belt. The asteroid...

93 Minerva is a large, dark C-type asteroid located in the main asteroid belt, discovered by American astronomer James Craig Watson in 1867. Named after the Roman goddess of wisdom, the celestial body has a diameter of approximately 140 kilometers and follows an orbital path between Mars and Jupiter...

45 Eugenia is a large, dark main-belt asteroid discovered by Hermann Goldschmidt in 1857 and named for Eugénie de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III. It is a carbon-rich C-type body with an irregular shape and occupies the region between Mars and Jupiter. Eugenia became notable in 1998 when observations...

88 Thisbe is a large main-belt asteroid discovered on June 15, 1866, by German-American astronomer Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters at Clinton, New York. With a diameter of approximately 232 kilometers, it ranks among the largest asteroids in the main belt and is classified as a C-type carbonaceo...

152 Atala is a large, dark main-belt asteroid discovered by brothers Paul and Prosper Henry on November 2, 1875, at the Paris Observatory. It is classified as a primitive carbonaceous C-type asteroid, indicating its surface is rich in carbon and it has a low albedo. The asteroid was named after the...

64 Angelina is an asteroid located in the main asteroid belt, discovered by German astronomer Ernst Tempel in 1861 from an observatory in Marseille, France. It is classified as a rare E-type asteroid, which are known for their high surface albedo and enstatite achondrite silicate compositions. Angel...

20 Massalia is a large main-belt asteroid discovered by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis on 19 September 1852. Its name comes from Massalia, the ancient Greek name for Marseille, where astronomer Jean Chacornac independently observed it soon after the discovery. It is an S-type, or stony, ast...

157 Dejanira is a main-belt asteroid discovered in 1875 by the French astronomers Paul Henry and Prosper Henry. It was named for Deianira, the wife of Heracles in Greek mythology, whose gift of a robe contaminated with the centaur Nessus's blood led to Heracles's death. The object orbits the Sun wit...

11 Parthenope is a large main-belt asteroid discovered by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis in 1850. Its name refers to Parthenope, one of the Sirens of Greek mythology and a figure closely associated with the legendary origins of Naples. Spectroscopic observations classify it as an S-type ast...

31 Euphrosyne is a large, dark, carbonaceous asteroid orbiting in the outer region of the main asteroid belt. It was discovered in 1854 by American astronomer James Ferguson and named after Euphrosyne, a figure from Greek mythology representing joy or mirth. As a C-type asteroid, its surface is high...

S-type asteroid discovered by John Russell Hind in 1852, named after the Greek Muse of tragedy and one of the brighter larger bodies in the inner main belt.

141 Lumen is a dark C-type asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, discovered by French astronomer Paul Henry in 1875 and named after a unit of luminous flux.

S-type asteroid discovered by Jean Chacornac in 1853, named after the ancient Greek city Phocaea and the namesake of the Phocaea asteroid family in the inner belt.

C-type asteroid discovered by Annibale de Gasparis in 1850, named after a Roman water nymph and one of the larger carbonaceous asteroids in the middle main belt.

Third asteroid ever discovered, found by Karl Ludwig Harding in 1804 and briefly considered a planet before the asteroid category was formally established.

129 Antigone is a massive M-type asteroid discovered in 1873 by Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters, noted for its high density and metallic composition rich in iron and nickel.

C-type asteroid discovered by John Russell Hind in 1852, named after the Roman goddess of luck and fortune, and belonging to the outer region of the main belt.

Main-belt asteroid discovered by J.C. Watson in 1868, notable as the 100th numbered minor planet, named after Hecate, the Greek goddess of magic and crossroads.