Just outside the orbit of Mars sits our Sun’s premier collection of space rocks. The asteroid belt has captivated the imaginations of science fiction authors and scientists alike who have considered the possibilities of mining ore, water and other material from the region to boost further space exploration.
But how was this orbiting field of debris formed? Does it represent the rocky bones of a former planet from eons past, or is it a type of gathering place for a planet-to-be?
Scientists have considered both responses as possibilities over the decades. But more recent theories contend that the vast ring of space rocks likely never was a whole planet and is unlikely to be so in the relatively near galactic future. Why? There simply isn’t enough material there.
