An asteroid is best described as which of the following?

• A. A small icy body from the outer solar system
• B. Rock in the asteroid belt
• C. A rocky fragment that orbits a planet
• D. A comet made of ice and dust

Answer: (B)

Asteroids are rocky bodies that orbit the Sun, and they occupy a region mainly between Mars and Jupiter known as the asteroid belt. They’re composed mostly of rock and metal, not ice, which distinguishes them from comets. They also aren’t satellites orbiting a planet—those would be moons. So the description that fits best is a rocky body that lies in the asteroid belt.