Asteroids are small, rocky, metallic objects that orbit the sun. They are made up of the same materials as the planets in our solar system, but they never grew large enough to become planets themselves. Most asteroids are found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, but some travel closer to the sun or farther out towards the outer solar system. Rarely, asteroids can collide with Earth and cause significant damage. Scientists study asteroids to learn more about the history of our solar system and potentially protect Earth from future impacts.