Description
The Kuiper Belt is a ring of icy space debris that surrounds the solar system behind Neptune. Over a thousand frozen bodies measuring over 100 km (62 miles) call the kuiper belt home. These objects are called Kuiper Belt objects or KBOs. Dwarf planets like Pluto and Ceres are in this icy region. Along with Dwarf planets, short period comets can be found here. Beyond this icy region is a large cloud called the Oort Cloud.
Major Characteristics
Estimated to be 30 AU to 55 AU away from the Sun
home to Makemake
home to Eris
home to Sedna
|
The average temperature is 50 Kelvin (-220 Celsius)
home to Pluto
home to Haumea
home to Quauoar, a large dwarf planet
|
Probes
NASA launched a spacecraft called New Horizons on January 19, 2006. It is expected to reach Pluto in 2015. It will have finished its mission of studying dwarf planets by 2026.
Voyager 1 and 2 had made it to the kuiper belt and beyond.
Voyager 1 and 2 had made it to the kuiper belt and beyond.
Fun Facts
The belt was named after the astronomer who predicted its existence, Gerard Kuiper.
The concept of comets coming from an outer area was first proposed by Dutch astronomer Jan Oort.
Comets that take less than 200 years to orbit the sun (short period comets) come from the kuiper belt.
The light from the sun takes 6 hours and 40 minutes to reach the kuiper belt.
Sources of Information
Redd, N. (June 14, 2012). Kuiper belt objects: Facts about the Kuiper Belt & KBOs. Retrieved from http://www.space.com/16144-kuiper-belt-objects.html.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (n.d.). Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud. Retrieved from http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=KBOs&Display=OverviewLong.
Keck, W. (n.d.). Surfaces of Kuiper Belt Objects. Retrieved from http://www.chem.hawaii.edu/Bil301/kuiperbelt.html.
Hamilton, C. (Oct. 7, 2002). Hubble Spots an Icy World far Beyond Pluto. Retrieved from http://www.solarviews.com/eng/quaoar.htm.
Cessna, A. (June 15, 2009). Kuiper Belt. Retrieved from http://www.universetoday.com/32515/kuiper-belt/
YellowMagpie.com. (n.d.). The Kuiper Belt: Home To The Dwarf Planets. Retrieved from http://yellowmagpie.com/the-kuiper-belt/ [top image]
York University. (n.d.). NATS1745 6.0 History of Astronomy Chapter 8: Online Images and Animations. Retrieved form http://www.yorku.ca/ns1745b/figs-ch8.html [lower image]
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (n.d.). Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud. Retrieved from http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=KBOs&Display=OverviewLong.
Keck, W. (n.d.). Surfaces of Kuiper Belt Objects. Retrieved from http://www.chem.hawaii.edu/Bil301/kuiperbelt.html.
Hamilton, C. (Oct. 7, 2002). Hubble Spots an Icy World far Beyond Pluto. Retrieved from http://www.solarviews.com/eng/quaoar.htm.
Cessna, A. (June 15, 2009). Kuiper Belt. Retrieved from http://www.universetoday.com/32515/kuiper-belt/
YellowMagpie.com. (n.d.). The Kuiper Belt: Home To The Dwarf Planets. Retrieved from http://yellowmagpie.com/the-kuiper-belt/ [top image]
York University. (n.d.). NATS1745 6.0 History of Astronomy Chapter 8: Online Images and Animations. Retrieved form http://www.yorku.ca/ns1745b/figs-ch8.html [lower image]