What are asteroids and how are they connected to planetary formation?

Asteroids are the remnants from the formation process of our inner solar system. About 4 billion years ago, the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) formed through an agglomeration process, and asteroids are essentially the leftover bits and pieces from this formation. Similarly, comets are the remnants from the formation of the outer planets like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. These celestial fragments serve as valuable time capsules that help scientists understand the early development of our solar system.