From where do astronomers believe meteoroids originated?

Meteoroids are small rocky or metallic bodies in outer space, and they are believed to primarily originate from fragments of larger celestial bodies, particularly asteroids. The asteroid belt, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, is home to many rocky asteroids, and collisions among these bodies can create debris. This debris, which can break off as smaller pieces during impacts, is what we identify as meteoroids when they enter Earth’s atmosphere.

The correct answer acknowledges that these fragments can result from a shattered planet or asteroid within the asteroid belt, highlighting the dynamic nature of that region where energetic collisions are common. By contrast, while the Oort Cloud and the Kuiper Belt do contain material that can eventually become meteoroids, they are primarily associated with comets and do not typically produce the same type of meteoroidal activity found in the inner solar system. The Moon's surface, while it may have meteoritic impacts, does not serve as a source for meteoroids entering the atmosphere. Thus, the choice relating to fragments of a shattered planet within the asteroid belt is the basis for understanding the origin of many meteoroids observed on Earth.