Tag Archives: kuiperbelt

Post 5

Posted on April 9, 2023 by berlinbe

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) declared that Pluto was not a planet, but rather a dwarf planet. This was largely because Pluto is relatively small (smaller than our moon) and it belongs to the Kuiper Belt—a body of comets/large objects that orbit the sun on the outer edges of the solar system. This […] Continue reading →

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Blog 6 – Planet Nine

Posted on April 6, 2023 by Melanie Marszal

Unfortunately, “Planet Nine” does not refer to Pluto. However, its potential existence could explain the interesting movement of some objects in the Kuiper Belt. Researchers at Caltech have found mathematical evidence of a large planet far out in our Solar System, which has been named Planet Nine. This hypothetical planet would be about the same […] Continue reading →

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Is There a Planet Nine?

Posted on April 15, 2022 by timmyshaheen

For centuries, humans have been observing the stars and the planets searching to understand more about the sky. As our technology becomes more sophisticated, so do the problems that we try and solve. Currently, there is a cluster of extreme trans-Neptunian objects with unexplained phenomena in their orbits. These objects all complete the closest part […] Continue reading →

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Kuiper Belt Objects

Posted on April 20, 2021 by 20harriganc

The Kuiper Belt is a region in the solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune as shown in the photo above. Although they have only scratched the surface, there has been about 2,000 objects discovered so far in the Kuiper belt. It is said to be filled with bits of rock and ice, along withContinue reading “Kuiper Belt Objects” Continue reading →

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Types of Kuiper Belt Objects

Posted on April 18, 2021 by miichellewang

You have likely heard of the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter, but did you know we also have the Kuiper belt? It’s approximately 20 AU (astronomical units) wide and is located beyond Neptune. Several dwarf planets such as Pluto, Makemake, Haumea, and Eris are all located here. Unlike asteroids which are mostly composedContinue reading “Types of Kuiper Belt Objects” Continue reading →

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Meet Makemake: The Dwarf Planet Partially Responsible for Pluto’s Demotion

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Jack

Pluto was discovered in 1930, and was classified as a planet. In 2006, as most of us probably know, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet. A significant amount of the population, whether justified or not, are opposed to the removal of Pluto from the official list of planets, primarily out of nostalgia for oneContinue reading “Meet Makemake: The Dwarf Planet Partially Responsible for Pluto’s Demotion” Continue reading →

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Kuiper Belt Objects…What Are They?

Posted on April 9, 2018 by terranojm

Kuiper Belt Objects are unique in that they have different compositions than most asteroids and different orbits than most comets. This has led astronomers to contemplate the identity of Kuiper Belt Objects. Surprisingly, the answer isn’t so clear. Asteroids are mostly composed of rock while comets are mostly composed of rock and ice. Most Kuiper … Continue reading “Kuiper Belt Objects…What Are They?” Continue reading →

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Blog #5

Posted on April 4, 2017 by niharikadar

An Overview of the New Horizons Mission The Kuiper Belt is a very fascinating region of our solar system consisting largely of icy bodies and comets. Thus, there is a lot of really interesting research aiming to better understand the Belt itself and the objects that call it home. One NASA initiative in this regard is … Continue reading Blog #5 Continue reading →

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Cool Kuiper Belt Objects

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Natalie

Way out past Neptune lies the Kuiper Belt. The most famous and one of the largest Kuiper Belt objects is … More Continue reading →

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An End to the Discovery of Bright Kuiper Belt Objects?

Posted on April 6, 2015 by adyacob

Check out this image from Universe Today: This shows the largest known objects in the Kuiper Belt. Pretty interesting to …

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