There are about 40,000 known asteroids that are over 0.5 miles (1) in diameter in the asteroid belt. About 3,000 asteroids have been cataloged. There are many smaller asteroids. The large majority of asteroids in the solar system out beyond Mars. Four of the largest asteroids in the belt are Ceres, Vesta, Pallas, Hygiea.
They contain about half the mass of the complete belt. The remainder of the mass is contained in countless smaller bodies. The solar system encompasses many different types of asteroid, grouped by the minerals they contain. The vast majority of asteroids are smaller than 1 kilometer in diameter.
