Asteroids, rocky leftovers from the solar system's fiery birth, zip around the sun in various orbits. They range in size from space-boulders to dwarf planets, some even sporting moon companions. While some asteroids stay put in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter, others venture closer to Earth, occasionally gracing our night skies as shooting stars. But where do these celestial wanderers originate from, and why do their paths sometimes cross ours?