How was the asteroid belt formed?

Question

If the rocky material coalesced at the same time as the other planets, what prevented it from forming another planet? Did it form another planet which was subsequently destroyed?

Answer 1

take a quick peek at this pic and answer your own question

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Inner...

Answer 2

Basically Jupiter's gravitational influence prevented the coalescence of a planet. That's a pretty strong theory today, I believe, i.e., really the only one.

Answer 3

It wasn't a planet to begin with. The belt is a non-formed planet. It started to get together but the gravity of Jupiter and Saturn prevented a planet from forming, so you have an asteroid belt.

Answer 4

idk we dont even know how the moon was formed so any "expect" that tells me that lame excuse about it not forming a plantet is as lost as us

Answer 5

Formation of the Asteroid Belt

There are many theories about how the asteroid belt formed, as there are about most things in astronomy. Early theories revolved around a destroyed fifth terrestrial planet, but the truth is more likely to be found at the other end of the spectrum. Rather than the hundreds of thousands of objects coming from a single planet’s destruction (unlikely due to the differences in composition of the various asteroids) it is more likely that they are the results of a planet NOT forming.