Here's why:
* Formation: The solar system formed from a giant cloud of gas and dust. As this cloud collapsed, it formed the Sun in the center and a disk of material around it.
* Planetesimals: Within this disk, smaller particles clumped together to form larger objects called planetesimals.
* Planets: Some planetesimals grew large enough to become planets.
* Leftovers: Many planetesimals remained in the solar system, especially in regions where the gravitational pull of planets was weaker. These leftover planetesimals are what we call asteroids.
Important Note: While asteroids are primarily rocky, some are icy. The smaller icy bodies are called comets. Both asteroids and comets can be thought of as remnants of the early solar system.
