All Questions
Tagged with kuiper-belt solar-system
14
questions
5
votes
1
answer
186
views
Would it be practical to map out the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud via Radar?
I recall reading an article where the moon, could be detected via radar and that orbiting radar satellites could map out the surface of mars, and in some cases even parts of Venus (the lattermost ...
- 447
5
votes
0
answers
100
views
How do the giant planets excite the orbits of asteroids?
The giant planets, particularly Jupiter, are notorious for bringing about changes in eccentricities and inclinations of smaller bodies(asteroids and KBOs). Jupiter, in fact, throws almost all the ...
- 779
3
votes
0
answers
95
views
How do JWST and Hubble compare in detecting small bodies in the solar system that are a) white, b) black, c) Arrokoth-like, d) Voyager-like?
Assume the object is small, spherical, and illuminated only by the Sun, and has some apparent motion. The object is either:
a) white - reflecting 100% perfectly diffusely (assume low temperature)
b) ...
- 1,379
1
vote
1
answer
99
views
Is the mass of Kuiper belt dominated by large objects?
There is a problem in my example sheet trying to teach me distributions. My result is that Kuiper belt objects are dominated by large mass objects. Is this supported by observational evidence?
- 481
8
votes
1
answer
438
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Could rocks from Earth have reached the Kuiper belt, or Neptune at least? If so, how?
This answer (currently edit 3) to How certain are we that we have not sent life to other planets/moons? begins:
First of all, rocks from Earth are probably just about everywhere in the Solar System. ...
- 30.7k
-1
votes
1
answer
201
views
If the hypothetical planet beyond the Kuiper belt exists, is it likely there are even more planets farther outside?
Since 2016 there are hints that a (probably) ice giant planet may exist far beyond the Kuiper belt. There are speculations that it may be a rogue planet captured by the Sun. But is it likely that ...
- 1,236
5
votes
1
answer
2k
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What does the Sun look like from Eris at its aphelion?
At its aphelion (most distant location from the Sun) the outermost-known planet Eris is about 100 times as far from the Sun as Earth. What does the Sun look like from Eris' surface? Is there still a ...
- 1,236
5
votes
2
answers
177
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Which kind of strategy should we take to discover Planet 9 and other KBOs?
What are the differences between the discoveries of Sedna, 2012vp 113, and the supposed Planet 9?
All need deep infrared surveys at the ecliptic plane, but P9 needs a much deeper survey?
- 3,137
9
votes
1
answer
372
views
Could the trajectories of non-periodic comets be used to infer properties of the 'ninth planet'?
Non-periodic comets are comets which have very long orbital periods (>200 years or more), spending most of their time in the outer solar system.
Planet X, recently revived by researchers at Caltech, ...
- 3,160
2
votes
2
answers
803
views
Is it proper to refer to objects beyond Neptune as "Kuiper Belt Objects?"
It seems to me that nowadays the more proper term is "Trans-Neptunian Object". Is there any difference between Kuiper Belt Objects and Trans-Neptunian Objects? If not, is one term preferred over the ...
- 2,673
3
votes
1
answer
585
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Retrograde motion and Kuiper Belt Objects
As seen from Earth, planets such as Mars and Jupiter exhibit retrograde motion when they are near opposition (from Earth). I am wondering how this effect extends to very distant objects, such as ...
- 2,673
48
votes
5
answers
9k
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Where does the Solar System end?
The Sun is roughly 4 light-years away from the closest star system, the Alpha Centauri system. The planets in our Solar System, however, aren't even close to that far away from the Sun. Where does our ...
- 37.3k
8
votes
1
answer
439
views
Have Pluto or any of its moons been mapped?
I was looking over some of the data for the terrestrial planets, and noticed that Venus, despite its cloud covering, had been mapped by the Arecibo Observatory. Also that other planets such as mars, ...
- 2,043
14
votes
2
answers
452
views
Are any Pluto-sized objects remaining to be discovered in the Kuiper Belt?
An object approximately the same size as Pluto, Eris, was discovered only 8 years ago (in 2005). Are there any Pluto-sized objects remaining to be discovered, and if so, how far away from the Sun ...
- 1,582