Small asteroids, like Mathilde, Gaspra, or Ida don't have spherical shapes the way planets do. Why is this? Group of answer choices Unlike planets, asteroids have had all of their ice evaporated away by repeated orbital passes near the Sun, and thus they have been left with irregular shapes. Asteroids formed a few billion years before planets did, and the collisions that built up the asteroids left them with irregular shapes. They aren't massive enough for their gravity to pull each of them into a spherical shape. They haven't undergone enough collisions to break off their irregular, protruding parts.

Applications and Investigations in Earth Science (9th Edition)
9th Edition
ISBN:9780134746241
Author:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa
Publisher:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa
Chapter1: The Study Of Minerals
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Small asteroids, like Mathilde, Gaspra, or Ida don't have spherical shapes the way planets do. Why is this?
Group of answer choices
Unlike planets, asteroids have had all of their ice evaporated away by repeated orbital passes near the Sun, and thus they have been left with irregular shapes.
Asteroids formed a few billion years before planets did, and the collisions that built up the asteroids left them with irregular shapes.
They aren't massive enough for their gravity to pull each of them into a spherical shape.
They haven't undergone enough collisions to break off their irregular, protruding parts.
 
 
 
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