The Kuiper Belt is estimated by some to hold "hundreds of millions of objects" (Encyclopedia Britannica) and among those objects most are relatively small. But just like the asteroid belt is home to many planetesimals that never did make it the Kuiper Belt is home to many icy planetesimals that never did make it. Some however were much closer than others and due to their discovery a new classification was made by the IAU,
dwarf planet. Many newly discovered objects were granted the title and Pluto lost its "planethood".
There are currently five dwarf planets but astronomers estimate that there may be as many as ''10,000" (New Horizons, NASA Mission Blog).
Pluto
Eris (With Moon Xena)
Makemake
Haumea (With two moons)
Quaoar
The recent discoveries of these bodies, we can look now look forward wit a greater sense of certainty and excitement to future dwarf planet discoveries, and other features in the still virgin territory of the Kuiper Belt.
Sources:
No comments:
Post a Comment