An asteroid is a rocky body that goes around the Sun. Most of them travel in a wide belt between Mars and Jupiter.

An asteroid「asteroid」小行星 is a rocky body是一種岩石天體 that goes around the Sun繞著太陽轉的。Most of them travel大部分小行星都運行 in a wide belt在一條寬帶狀區域裡 between Mars and Jupiter在「Mars」火星和「Jupiter」木星之間。

Learner books often call them “small planets,” and you will still hear that, because through a telescope they look like tiny wandering lights. Though actually, astronomers now keep planet for the big round worlds (Earth, Jupiter, and so on). Asteroids are leftover rock from when the solar system formed — some no bigger than a house, a few hundreds of kilometres across.

Learner books often call them學習用的書常常把它們稱作 "small planets,"「small planets」字面上是小小的行星，and you will still hear that你現在還是會聽到這種說法，because through a telescope因為透過望遠鏡看 they look like tiny wandering lights它們看起來就像會移動的小光點。Though actually不過實際上，astronomers now keep天文學家現在把 planet「planet」留給 for the big round worlds那些又大又圓的世界 (Earth, Jupiter, and so on)（像「Earth」地球、「Jupiter」木星等等）。Asteroids「asteroids」小行星 are leftover rock是剩下來的岩石 from when the solar system formed太陽系形成時——some no bigger than a house有些不比一棟房子大，a few hundreds of kilometres across有些則有幾百公里寬。

They are not stars, and they are not the same as a meteor (the bright streak when a bit of rock burns in our air) or a comet (an icy body with a tail). If a piece survives and hits the ground, that piece is a meteorite.

They are not stars它們不是星星，and they are not the same as也跟...不一樣 a meteor「meteor」流星 (the bright streak when a bit of rock burns in our air)（一小塊岩石在大氣層裡燃燒時劃出的亮線） or a comet或「comet」彗星 (an icy body with a tail)（帶著尾巴的冰體）。If a piece survives and hits the ground如果有一塊碎片撐過大氣層、撞到地面，that piece is那塊碎片就叫做 a meteorite「meteorite」隕石。

News and films often stretch asteroid toward “the rock that might hit Earth,” which is only one kind: a near-Earth asteroid. The everyday scientific name is still asteroid.

News and films often stretch asteroid新聞和電影常常把「asteroid」的意思拉向 "the rock that might hit Earth,"「可能會撞上地球的岩石」，which is only one kind但那其實只是其中一種：a near-Earth asteroid「near-Earth asteroid」近地小行星。The everyday scientific name is still日常的科學名稱還是 asteroid「asteroid」。