Large Kuiper Belt objects

Orbiting the Sun at distances beyond the orbit of the planet Neptune are millions of small icy bodies occupying a region of space called the Kuiper Belt. To date, over 1200 Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) have been discovered. Although the vast majority of these known objects are small (less than 500 km...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Emily L. Schaller
Format: Reference Entry
Language:English
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:Orbiting the Sun at distances beyond the orbit of the planet Neptune are millions of small icy bodies occupying a region of space called the Kuiper Belt. To date, over 1200 Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) have been discovered. Although the vast majority of these known objects are small (less than 500 km or 310 mi in diameter), there are now several objects known with diameters greater than 1000 km (620 mi), including the well-known dwarf planets Pluto and Eris. Many of these large objects have atmospheres, moons, and surfaces that show evidence of collisions, making them subjects of intense scientific interest. Details about the largest Kuiper Belt objects are given in the table.
DOI:10.1036/1097-8542.YB100078