10 Facinating Facts About the Kuiper Belt

These are 10 fascinating facts about the Kuiper Belt.

From the Kuiper Belt was predicted and then discovered to ices from the time our Solar System formed.

So if you want to learn 10 Kuiper Belt facts, then this article is for you.

Let’s jump right in!

#1 The Kuiper Belt Is Way Out There

The Kuiper Belt lies beyond the orbit of Neptune in our solar system. 

In fact, the icy belt extends from 30 to 55 astronomical units out from the Sun. 

In other words, that’s 2.8 – 5.1 billion miles out.

#2 Predicted, Then Discovered

Like many things in science, the Kuiper Belt was first predicted by Gerard Kuiper in 1951. 

Only later, in 1992, did a team of astronomers observed the first Kuiper Belt Object after five years of scouring the skies.

#3 Dear Kuiper Belt, Thank You for the Moons

Planets Neptune and Saturn are believed to have gotten at least one of their moons from the Kuiper Belt. 

Indeed, as large icy bodies became knocked loose, the gas giants roped them into their powerful gravity.

#4 The Neighborhood of a Famous Planet

The Kuiper Belt is home to several dwarf planets, such as Makemake, Haumea, and more. 

However, the belt is also home to Pluto, our beloved former planet. 

In fact, Pluto is the largest object in the Kuiper Belt. 

Ultimately, planet or not, Pluto has a special place in our hearts and solar system!

#5 The First Mission to the Kuiper Belt

As of July 2015, a human spacecraft reached the Kuiper Belt. 

NASA’s New Horizons mission official reached the belt as it approached the former planet, Pluto. 

Originally blasting off from Cape Canaveral in 2006, the craft blazed at 36,000 miles per hour to reach the frozen target for nine years.

#6 Close Encounter With a KBO

After successfully reaching Pluto and captivating the world, NASA granted New Horizons an extended mission. 

The craft is now en route to a Kuiper Belt Object (KBO), which it will reach in early 2019.

#7 Snap, That’s a Lot of Comets

The Kuiper Belt is believed to contain more than a trillion comets. 

In fact, when the gravity of other objects knocks the comets free, they often enter our solar system. 

Actually, several of the comets that frequent our inner- and outer solar system are thought to have originated in the Kuiper Belt.

#8 Fascinating Retractable Atmospheres

Indeed, our universe is full of bazaar objects. 

However, some planets in the Kuiper Belt have retractable atmospheres. 

As the planets grow increasingly farther from the Sun in their orbits, their atmospheres begin to collapse, only to appear again as they approach the Sun again.

#9 Frozen Clues About the Solar System

Ices in the Kuiper Belt date back to the time our solar system first formed. Because of this, the ice chunks give us valuable clues about conditions during this time. 

In fact, our solar system’s formation is still one of astronomy’s biggest mysteries. 

Therefore, scientists are eager to learn more about the Kuiper Belt, and in turn, our solar system.

#10 One of Many Kuiper Belts

Astronomers have observed Kuiper Belts surrounding at least nine other stars. 

Actually, Hubble Space Telescope has even imaged such icy discs around two stars (HD 138664 and HD 53143). 

While astronomers are eager to learn more about how and why such belts form, they are still a large mystery.