The asteroid belt orbits between the planets Mars and Jupiter in our Solar System. Specifically, it lies roughly between 2.06 and 3.27 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun, where 1 AU is the distance from Earth to the Sun. This places the belt between the orbits of the inner rocky planets (like Mars) and the gas giant Jupiter
. Thus, the asteroid belt orbits the Sun in the region between a terrestrial planet (Mars) and a gas giant planet (Jupiter). The strong gravitational influence of Jupiter is believed to have prevented the asteroids in this region from coalescing into a larger planet
. In summary:
- The asteroid belt orbits between the terrestrial planet Mars and the gas giant Jupiter.
- Mars is the outermost rocky planet inside the belt.
- Jupiter is the innermost gas giant outside the belt.
This location distinguishes the asteroid belt as a region of small rocky bodies orbiting between the inner rocky planets and the outer gas giants of the Solar System
