NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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  1. Question

    Is there any reason why we have an asteroid belt and not a 5th rocky planet?

    The gravitation force of giant planet Jupiter keeps the debris in the asteroid belt "stirred up" so that this material was not able to form a single planet between Mars and Jupiter. Over time, the asteroids collide and break up, thus reducing their size -- a process that continues today. David Morrison
    NAI Senior Scientist

    September 14, 2006