Kuiper Belt Origins Name Kuiper Belt Objects Discoveries Thus

The first astronomers to suggest the existence of this belt were Frederick C. Leonard in 1930 and Kenneth E. Edgeworth in 1943. In 1951 Gerard Kuiper suggested that objects did not exist in the belt anymore. More detailed conjectures about objects in the belt were done by Al G. W. Cameron in 1962, Fred L. Whipple in 1964, and Julio Fernandez in 19801980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. Events January-February January 1- April 1 National steel strike in United Kingdom January 1 Changes to the Swedish Act of Succession creates Victoria of Sweden, Crown Princess over her younger brother January 5 He. The belt and the objects in it were named after Kuiper after the discovery of (15760) 1992 QB₁Trans-Neptunian objects 15760) 1992 QB was the first trans-Neptunian object discovered, in 1992. It is a cubewano, a object in the main Kuiper Belt. The name "cubewano" derives from "Q B one". 1992 QB Orbital characteristics Orbit type Kuiper belt Semimaj.

Modern computertower of a personal computer. A computer is a device for making calculations or controlling operations that are expressible in numerical or logical terms. While factually accurate, this definition and those found in other dictionaries are so broad that th simulationA simulation is an imitation of some real device or state of affairs. Simulation attempts to represent certain features of the behavior of a physical or abstract system by the behavior of another system. Simulation is used in many contexts, including thes show the Kuiper belt to have been formed by the work of Jupiter, the young Jupiter having used its considerable gravity to eject smaller bodies which didn't all escape completely, and also having been formed in-situ. The same simulations and other theories predict there should be bodies of significant mass in the belt, MarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, named after the Roman god of war (the counterpart of the Greek Ares), on account of its blood red color as viewed in the night sky. Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos, both small and odd or EarthEarth also known as the Earth or Terra is the planet on which we live, the third planet outward from the Sun. It is the largest of the solar system's terrestrial planets, and the only planetary body that modern science confirms as harbouring life. The pla sized.

1.1 Name

The Kuiper belt is sometimes called the Edgeworth belt or Edgeworth-Kuiper belt, after Kenneth E. Edgeworth. Some astronomers suggest even more complex names, such as Leonard-Edgeworth belt, Leonard-Edgeworth-Kuiper belt, or Cubewano-belt (after QB1).

The term trans-Neptunian objectA Trans-Neptunian object (TNO) is any object in the solar system with all or most of its orbit beyond that of Neptune. The Kuiper belt and Oort cloud are names for some subdivisions of that volume of space. Pluto is a trans-Neptunian object, and if it had is recommended for objects in the belt by several scientific groups because the term is less controversial than all others. However, this is not a synonym as the category includes all objects at the outer edge of the solar system, not just those in the Kuiper belt.

2 Kuiper belt objects

2.1 Discoveries thus far

Over 800 Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) (a subset of trans-Neptunian objectA Trans-Neptunian object (TNO) is any object in the solar system with all or most of its orbit beyond that of Neptune. The Kuiper belt and Oort cloud are names for some subdivisions of that volume of space. Pluto is a trans-Neptunian object, and if it hads (TNOs)) have been discovered in the belt, almost all of them since 1992. The largest are Pluto and Charon, but since the year 2000 other large objects that approached their size were identified. Initial calculations show that 90377 Sedna may be larger than Charon. However, while some astronomers claim that Sedna is part of the Kuiper belt and that the current outer limit of the belt should be revised, most say that Sedna is too far out for the Kuiper belt (it is beyond the gravitational effect of Neptune) and may actually be an inner Oort cloud object. If so it is not unique; 2000 CR₁₀₅ , which was discovered before Sedna, may also be an inner Oort cloud object. 50000 Quaoar, discovered in 2002, is half the size of Pluto and is larger than the largest asteroid 1 Ceres. Other known KBOs are progressively smaller. The exact classification of these objects is unclear, since they are probably fairly different from the asteroids of the inner solar system.

2.2 Orbital Trajectories

KBOs are by (current) definition limited to 30-50 AU from the sun.

Some KBOs that also periodically travel inside Neptune's orbit are in 1:2, 2:3 ( plutinos), 2:5, 3:4, 3:5, 4:5, or 4:7 orbital resonance with Neptune. Cubewanos form the central region, and scattered disk objects (SDOs) are found in the outer areas of the belt.

The belt should not be confused with the Oort cloud, which is not limited to the plane of the solar system and is more distant.

2.3 Size and Composition

Most KBOs are lumps of ice with some organic ( carbon-containing) material such as tholin, detected using spectroscopy. They are of the same composition as comets and many astronomers believe them to be just comets. The distinction between comet and asteroid is not yet clear and there is a substantial uncertainty, inhabited by such objects as 2060 Chiron.

It is difficult to estimate the diameter of KBOs. For objects with very well known orbital elements (namely, Pluto and Charon), diameters can be precisely measured by occultation of stars.

For other large KBOs, diameters can be estimated by thermal measurement. If a body has high albedo, it is cold, and hence does not produce much black-body radiation in the infrared. Conversely, a low albedo object produces more infrared. KBOs are so far from the sun that they are very cold, hence produce black-body radiation around 60 micrometres in wavelength. This wavelength of light is impossible to observe on the Earth's surface: astronomers thus observe the tail of the black-body radiation in the far infrared. This far infrared radiation is so dim that the thermal method is only applicable to the largest KBOs. The diameter of the smaller objects is estimated by assuming an albedo: the diameter of such bodies should be taken to be a rough guess.

2.4 Largest Discoveries

The largest known KBOs, with diameter measurement technologies, are:

Number	Name	Equatorial diameter (km)	Mean distance from sun (in AU)	Date discovered	Discoverer	Diameter method
	Pluto	2320	39.4	1930	Clyde W. Tombaugh	occultation
90482	Orcus	~1600	45	2004	Michael E. Brown, Chadwick A. Trujillo, David L. Rabinowitz	assumed albedo
	Charon	1270	39.4	1978	James W. Christy	occultation
50000	Quaoar	1200±200	43.25	2002	Chadwick A. Trujillo & Michael E. Brown	thermal
20000	Varuna	1060±200	43.23	2000	Robert S. McMillan	thermal
28978	Ixion	1055±165	39.39	2001	Robert L. Millis , Marc W. Buie, Eugene Chiang , James L. Elliot , Susan D. Kern , David E. Trilling , R. Mark Wagner , Lawrence H. Wasserman / Deep Ecliptic Survey	thermal
55636	2002 TX₃₀₀	~965	43.19	2002	Eleanor F. Helin, Steven H. Pravdo , Kenneth J. Lawrence, Michael D. Hicks , Robert Thicksten / NEAT	assumed albedo
55637	2002 UX₂₅	~910	42.71	2002	Anne S. Descour / Spacewatch	assumed albedo
55565	2002 AW₁₉₇	890±120	47.52	2002	Chadwick A. Trujillo, Michael E. Brown, Eleanor F. Helin, Steven H. Pravdo , Kenneth J. Lawrence, Michael D. Hicks / Palomar Observatory	thermal

3 External Links and Data Sources

The Minor Planets

Vulcanoids | Main belt | Groups and Families | Near-Earth objects | Jupiter Trojans

(For other objects and regions, see: Binary asteroids, Asteroid moons and the Solar system)

(For a complete listing, see: List of asteroids)

The Solar System

See also astronomical objects and the solar system's list of objects, sorted by radius or mass

Trans-Neptunian objects

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1 Origins