A disk-shaped distribution of small icy bodies, extending hundreds of astronomical units beyond Neptune, believed to be the source of the short-period comets seen in the inner solar system.
A region in our outer solar system where many short-period comets (possessing orbits of less than 200 years) originate. This region begins beyond Neptune's orbit and encompasses an estimated distance of between 30 and 100 astronomical units. There may be as many as 100 million Kuiper belt comets.
a disk-shaped region of many small icy bodies extending from just beyond Neptune's orbit to about three times further out from the Sun. It's estimated to contain more than 35,000 objects greater than 60 miles in diameter (several hundred times the number of similar-sized objects in the asteroid belt), and as many as 100 million comets 12 or so miles across. Pluto is thought to be a Kuiper belt object and not a true planet because of its small size and the extreme inclination and ellipticity of its orbit.
Small asteroids obiting the sun between the orbits of Uranus and Neptune thought to be the source of comets.
An area of asteroids and debris just beyond the orbit of Pluto. Recent observations suggest the Kuiper Belt ends abruptly at approximately 50 AU.
Spherical region of the outer Solar System populated by numerous `ice dwarfs', otherwise known as Kuiper Belt Objects or trans-Neptunian objects. Several hundred of these have so far been discovered. The planet Pluto appears to be the largest of these objects. The belt seems to occur at 30 - 150 AU from the Sun and is believed to be the source of short-period comets. Named after Dutch-American astronomer Gerard Kuiper who predicted its existence. Also known as the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt, in recognition of the work of another (Irish) scientist, Kenneth Edgeworth.
minor bodies which orbit the Sun beyond the planet Neptune
The disk-shaped region of the outer Solar System where periodic comets (orbital period 200 years) originate. Gerard Kuiper postulated the existence of this region to explain the observed distribution of short-period comets.
A region beyond the orbit of Neptune and exending about 1000 Astronomical Units from the Sun.
The Kuiper Belt lies outside the orbit of Neptune at a distance from the Sun of 30 to 100 AU and contains an estimated 35,000 objects with diameters greater than 100 kilometers (60 miles). The first Kuiper Belt object was detected in 1992. Most periodic comets— that is, those comets that orbit the Sun on a regular schedule—come from the Kuiper Belt.
The belt of small planetoids at the outer edge of our solar system.
A region beyond Neptune in which there are around 70,000 small objects orbiting the Sun. These are known as Kuiper Belt Objects (KBO's) and include the newly discovered 'planets' Quaoar and Sedna. The Kuiper belt is believed to be be the source of short-period comets such as Halley's comet. It was named after the Dutch astronomer Gerard Kuiper, who predicted its existence in 1951.
A doughnut-shaped region of comets in orbit beyond Neptune, assumed to be the oldest surviving remnant of the original solar nebula and the source of short-period comets.
a reservoir of perhaps hundreds of thousands of Solar System objects orbiting outside of Neptune; source of short-period comets.
comets with orbits in ecliptic but outside Neptune.
A large ring of icy, primitive objects beyond the orbit of Neptune. Kupier Belt objects are believed to be remnants of the original material that formed the solar system. Some astronomers believe Pluto and Charon are Kuiper Belt objects.
A large loose ring of comets and asteroids beyond the orbit of Neptune, which is the main supplier of short period comets. Postulated by Gerard Kuiper in 1951, the first Kuiper Belt (aka 'Trans-Neptunian') object was observed in 1992. Today there are tens of thousands of known KBOs. Some astronomers believe Pluto should be more correctly classified as the first and largest of these.
a region in the outer solar system beyond Neptune's orbit that contains billions of small, icy bodies; Pluto is the largest known Kuiper belt member.
Where one can find Kuiper belt objects. To be more specific, the collection of minor bodies with heliocentric orbits beyond Neptune, reaching out to possibly hundreds of astronomical units.
A disk-shaped region of minor planets outside the orbit of Neptune.
A vast region of icy, rocky bodies beyond Neptune's orbit. It has no known astrological significance in itself, but Pluto is located in this great frontier area, some 3 billion miles (4.8 billion km) from the Sun.
The Kuiper belt is a region beyond Neptune in which at least 70,000 small objects (KBO's) orbit, including Quaoar and Sedna. This belt is located from 30 to 50 (?) A.U.'s and was discovered in 1992. The Kuiper belt may be the source of the short-period comets (like Halley's comet). The Kuiper belt was named for the Dutch-American astronomer Gerard P. Kuiper, who predicted its existence in 1951.
The Kuiper belt (pronounced , rhymes with "viper") is an area of the solar system extending from the orbit of Neptune (at 30 AU) to 50 AU from the Sun.
