asteroid etymology

Etymology:

The word "asteroid" comes from the Greek words "aster" (star) and "eidos" (form), meaning "star-like form."

Meaning:

An asteroid is a small, rocky object that orbits the Sun. Asteroids are typically irregular in shape and range in size from a few meters to hundreds of kilometers in diameter. They are smaller than planets but larger than meteoroids and dust particles.

Origin:

Asteroids are believed to be remnants of the solar nebula, which was a rotating cloud of gas and dust that formed the Sun and the planets about 4.6 billion years ago. During the early stages of the solar system's formation, small bodies called planetesimals accreted to form the planets. However, some planetesimals remained in the asteroid belt, a region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

Other asteroids may have originated from collisions between larger bodies, such as the impact that is thought to have created the Moon. Some asteroids may also be extinct comets that have lost their volatile components.

asteroid relate terms

  • aster

    Etymology Greek ἀστήρ astḗr Meaning Star Origin The word aster or

  • asterisk

  • asterism

    Etymology The word asterism comes from the Greek asterismos meaning a group of stars

  • asteroid

    Etymology The word asteroid comes from the Greek words aster star and eidos for

  • astral

    Etymology The word astral is derived from the Greek word αστρον astron meani

  • astro

    Etymology and Meaning The word astro is derived from the Greek word ástron which m

  • astrobiology

    Etymology and Origin The term astrobiology was coined in 1953 by the American physicis

  • astrobleme

    Etymology From Ancient Greek ἄστρον ástron star and βλῆμα blēm

  • astrognosy

    Etymology Astro Greek for star Gnosis Greek for knowledge Meaning Astrognosy

  • astroid

    Etymology The word astroid is derived from the Greek word aster which means star

  • astrolabe

    Etymology The word astrolabe is derived from the Greek words astro star lab to tak

  • astrolatry

    Etymology Astro Greek Star Latry Greek Worship Meaning Astrolatry is

  • astrology

    Etymology The word astrology is derived from Greek ἄστρον astron meaning s

  • astromancy

    Etymology Astromancy is derived from two Greek words astron ἄστρον mean

  • astronaut

    Etymology The word astronaut is derived from two Greek roots Astro meaning star N

  • astronomy

    Etymology The word astronomy is derived from the Greek words astron ἄστρον

  • AstroTurf

    Etymology The term AstroTurf is a combination of two words Astro From astronaut

  • constellation

    Etymology The word constellation is derived from the Latin word constellatio which

  • disaster

    Etymology The word disaster comes from the Middle French word desastre which in turn

  • Estella

    Etymology The name Estella has multiple etymological origins Latin stella meaning

  • Esther

    Etymology Hebrew אֶסְתֵּר êster Meaning Star Origin Esther i

  • instellation

    Etymology and Origin The word instillation comes from the Latin word instillare mean

  • interstellar

    Etymology and Origin The word interstellar is derived from the Latin words inter

  • lodestar

    Etymology of Lodestar The word lodestar is a compound of two Old English words lā

  • star

    Etymology The word star derives from the Old English word steorra which in turn orig

  • stardust

    Etymology Star Old English steorra Dust Old English dust Meaning Fine spa

  • starfish

    Etymology Star from Old English steorra Refers to its radial symmetry resembling

  • starlet

    Etymology The word starlet comes from the Middle English word sterrelet which is de

  • starlight

    Etymology Late Middle English in the sense starlight from star light Mean

  • starry

    Etymology The word starry is derived from the Proto Indo European root h₂ster me

  • stellar

    Etymology The word stellar originates from the Latin word stella which means star

  • stellate

    Etymology The word stellate originates from the Latin word stellatus which means s

  • Niobe

    Etymology Greek Νιόβη Nióbē Meaning The gloomy one or the rainy one

  • crater

    Etymology The word crater is derived from the Greek word krater which means mixing

  • vignette

    Etymology The word vignette comes from the French word vigne meaning vine or vine

  • satellite

    Etymology The word satellite comes from the Latin word satelles which means atten

  • perpendicular

    Etymology and Meaning The word perpendicular comes from the Latin words per through

  • vesper

    Etymology and Origin The word vesper comes from the Latin word vesper which means

  • leviathan

    Etymology Ultimate origin Biblical Hebrew liwyathan leviathan Latin form leviath

  • nail

    Etymology The word nail has multiple etymological origins Germanic nagul or nagl n

  • exercise

    Etymology The word exercise comes from the Latin word exercere which means to train