The asteroid belt is also commonly referred to as the ‘main belt.’ This region lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter and is populated by a vast number of rocky fragments, known as asteroids, ranging in size from small boulders to dwarf planets.
The term ‘main belt’ helps to distinguish this area from other groups of asteroids, such as near-Earth asteroids or the Trojan asteroids, which have different orbits and characteristics. The asteroid belt is significant for understanding the formation of our solar system, as it contains remnants from its early days that did not coalesce into a planet.