EASC Lesson 7 Solar System - Oort Cloud, Kuiper Belt, Dwarf Planets, Comets, Asteroids, Meteoroids

Kuiper Belt

A doughnut-shaped region of icy bodies extending beyond the orbit of Neptune, named after astronomer Gerard Kuiper.

Astronomical Unit (AU)

The distance from Earth to the Sun, approximately 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers.

Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs)

Icy bodies within the Kuiper Belt, including Pluto and other similar objects.

Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs)

Objects in the solar system that have an orbit beyond the planet Neptune.

Oort Cloud

A predicted, spherical shell of icy bodies surrounding the solar system, theorized to contain long-term comets.

Ceres

The largest object in the asteroid belt, discovered in 1801, now classified as a dwarf planet.

Dwarf Planet

A celestial body orbiting a star that has sufficient mass to be nearly round but has not cleared its orbit.

Eris

The second-largest known dwarf planet, discovered in 2003, located in the Kuiper Belt with one moon, Dysnomia.

Meteor Crater

A bowl-shaped depression produced by the impact of a meteorite, typically with a raised rim.

Complex Impact Crater

A larger impact crater with a diameter greater than 6 km, characterized by a center that uplifts following the impact.