What is the name given to large pieces of space rock?

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The name given to large pieces of space rock is asteroids. Asteroids are primarily found in the asteroid belt, which is situated between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. These celestial bodies are remnants from the early solar system, representing building blocks that never coalesced into planets. They vary widely in size, with some being as small as a meter across, while others can be hundreds of kilometers in diameter.

In contrast, comets are icy bodies that release gas or dust, forming a visible atmosphere or coma when they come close to the Sun. Meteoroids are significantly smaller than asteroids, typically ranging from small grains to objects up to a meter in size, and when they enter Earth's atmosphere and produce a visible streak of light, they are referred to as meteors. Planetary debris is a more generic term that could refer to any leftover material from planetary formation, but it doesn't specifically denote the larger, solid rock bodies defined as asteroids. Therefore, asteroids are the correct term to describe these large pieces of space rock.

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