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Asteroid Belt's Slow Decline Linked to Jupiter's Gravity

9/30/2025

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Summary

Story summary

The asteroid belt is losing 0.0088% of its mass, a slow depletion over billions of years due to Jupiter's gravity.
Between Mars and Jupiter, it remains a remnant that failed to form a planet.
About 20% becomes meteoroids reaching Earth; 80% becomes meteoritic dust.
Geological evidence indicates the belt was 50% more massive 3.5 billion years ago, linking higher Earth–Moon bombardment.

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Story summary

The asteroid belt is losing 0.0088% of its mass, a slow depletion over billions of years due to Jupiter's gravity.
Between Mars and Jupiter, it remains a remnant that failed to form a planet.
About 20% becomes meteoroids reaching Earth; 80% becomes meteoritic dust.
Geological evidence indicates the belt was 50% more massive 3.5 billion years ago, linking higher Earth–Moon bombardment.