What is The Kuiper Belt: Objects At The Edge Of The Solar System

Summary

The Kuiper Belt, a circumstellar disc extending from Neptune's orbit to about 50 AU from the Sun, is a vast region of icy bodies and dwarf planets like Pluto. Hypothesized for decades, its existence was confirmed in 1992, reshaping our understanding of the Solar System. The New Horizons mission further explored this icy realm, revealing its diverse objects and potential for future exploration, including the intriguing possibility of a 'Planet 9' influencing distant orbits.

Takeaways

• 🌌 The Kuiper Belt is a circumstellar disc in the outer Solar System, extending from Neptune's orbit to approximately 50 AU from the Sun.
• 🪨 It is much larger than the asteroid belt, being 20 times wider and 20 to 200 times more massive, and is composed mainly of frozen volatiles like methane, ammonia, and water.
• 🌍 The Kuiper Belt contains three officially recognized dwarf planets: Pluto, Haumea, and Makemake, and may have been the origin of some of the Solar System's moons.
• 🔍 The 'edge' of the solar system is considered to be the Heliosphere or the Oort Cloud, marking the limits of the Sun's magnetic influence and gravity.
• 🕵️‍♂️ The Kuiper Belt was hypothesized for decades before its existence was confirmed in 1992 with the discovery of the first Kuiper belt object, 1992 QB1.
• 👀 Theories about the Kuiper Belt's existence date back to the discovery of Pluto in 1930, with various astronomers speculating about a trans-Neptunian population.
• 🛰️ Evidence for the Kuiper Belt came from the study of comets and computer simulations that suggested a 'belt' was needed to explain the observed short-period comets.
• 🚀 NASA's New Horizons mission marked the first spacecraft to visit an object in the Kuiper Belt, with its flyby of Pluto in 2015 and Arrokoth in 2019.
• 🌑 The IAU's 2006 definition of a planet led to the reclassification of Pluto and other similar bodies as 'Dwarf Planets', changing our understanding of the Solar System's composition.
• 🌌 The Kuiper Belt is home to many binary objects and moons, which are thought to be ancient and provide insights into the early Solar System.
• 🔮 Speculations about the existence of 'Planet 9' in the Kuiper Belt are based on the gravitational influences observed on distant objects, suggesting a yet undiscovered large body.

Q & A

What is the Kuiper Belt?

The Kuiper Belt is a circumstellar disc in the outer Solar System, extending from the orbit of Neptune (at 30 AU) to approximately 50 AU from the Sun. It is similar to the asteroid belt but is much larger and consists mainly of small bodies or remnants from the formation of the Solar System, composed largely of frozen volatiles such as methane, ammonia, and water.

How is the Kuiper Belt different from the asteroid belt?

The Kuiper Belt is larger and more massive than the asteroid belt, being 20 times as wide and 20 to 200 times as massive. While many asteroids are composed primarily of rock and metal, most Kuiper belt objects are composed largely of frozen volatiles, also known as 'ices'.

Which dwarf planets are officially recognized in the Kuiper Belt?

The Kuiper Belt is home to three officially recognized dwarf planets: Pluto, Haumea, and Makemake.

What is the significance of the discovery of the Kuiper Belt in our understanding of the Solar System?

The discovery of the Kuiper Belt has helped reshape our understanding of the Solar System by showing that there is a vast region beyond Neptune filled with small celestial bodies. It has also led to the reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet, rather than a full-fledged planet.

Who was the first astronomer to suggest the existence of a trans-Neptunian population?

The first astronomer to suggest the existence of a trans-Neptunian population was Frederick C. Leonard, who after the discovery of Pluto in 1930, pondered the possibility of a series of ultra-Neptunian bodies yet to be discovered.

What evidence led to the initial hypothesis of the Kuiper Belt?

The initial hypothesis of the Kuiper Belt was based on the observation of comets and their finite lifespans. The need for a replenishment source for these comets led to the idea of a region beyond Neptune where these small bodies could originate.

Who discovered the first Kuiper Belt object and when?

Astronomers David Jewitt and Jane Luu discovered the first Kuiper Belt object, 1992 QB1, on August 30, 1992, after five years of searching.

What is the significance of the discovery of 1992 QB1?

The discovery of 1992 QB1 confirmed the existence of the Kuiper Belt, providing direct evidence for a region of small celestial bodies beyond Neptune's orbit.

What is the current number of discovered Kuiper Belt objects?

By 2018, over 2000 Kuiper Belt objects had been discovered.

What is the significance of the New Horizons spacecraft's mission to the Kuiper Belt?

The New Horizons spacecraft's mission to the Kuiper Belt marked the first visit to an object in the region, providing valuable data and imagery of Pluto and its moons, and later Arrokoth, a contact binary object, which has helped scientists learn more about the composition and history of the Kuiper Belt.

What is the concept of 'Planet 9' and how is it related to the Kuiper Belt?

The concept of 'Planet 9' is based on the observation of certain objects in the Kuiper Belt that do not follow the expected gravitational 'laws'. This has led to the hypothesis that there may be an undiscovered large planetary body, referred to as 'Planet 9', influencing their orbits.

What are some potential future activities for humanity in the Kuiper Belt?

Potential future activities in the Kuiper Belt include studying the various objects, mining some of the larger rocks for resources, and possibly setting up outpost stations on some of the dwarf planets.

Outlines

00:00

🌌 The Kuiper Belt: Our Solar System's Icy Edge

The Kuiper Belt is a circumstellar disc located in the outer Solar System, starting at Neptune's orbit and extending to about 50 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun. It is a vast region, 20 times wider and more massive than the asteroid belt, and is composed mainly of icy bodies, including dwarf planets like Pluto, Haumea, and Makemake. The Kuiper Belt is considered the 'end' of our solar system in terms of physical reach, with its 'edge' being either the heliosphere or the Oort Cloud. The discovery of the Kuiper Belt and its objects has greatly expanded our understanding of the Solar System's composition and history.

05:03

🔍 Unraveling the Mysteries of the Kuiper Belt

The concept of the Kuiper Belt has evolved since the discovery of Pluto in 1930, with various astronomers hypothesizing the existence of a trans-Neptunian population. It wasn't until 1992 that direct evidence for the Kuiper Belt was found, despite earlier speculations and theories. The discovery of the first Kuiper Belt object, 1992 QB1, by David Jewitt and Jane Luu, marked a significant milestone in our understanding of the Solar System's outer reaches. The study of comets and their replenishment sources, such as the Oort Cloud, also contributed to the validation of the Kuiper Belt's existence.

10:05

🌐 Dwarf Planets and the Redefinition of Planetary Status

The discovery and study of the Kuiper Belt have led to a reevaluation of Pluto's status as a planet. With the identification of other dwarf planets in the belt, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) established criteria for defining a planet in 2006. This resulted in the reclassification of Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and others as 'Dwarf Planets'. The reclassification has been a point of contention, but it has also highlighted the diversity and complexity of celestial bodies in the Kuiper Belt.

🌑 Moons, Binaries, and the Ancient Origins of Kuiper Belt Objects

Many Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) have moons or are binary systems, where two bodies of similar size orbit a common center of mass. Some binaries are contact binaries, touching and forming a peanut shape. These systems, including those of Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Quaoar, are thought to be ancient and primordial, with theories suggesting they may have formed from low-speed collisions in the early Solar System. The study of these systems provides insights into the formation and evolution of the Kuiper Belt.

🚀 Space Exploration and the Future of the Kuiper Belt

NASA's Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to cross into the Kuiper Belt region in 1983, but it was New Horizons that provided the first close-up exploration of a KBO, Pluto, in 2015, followed by the flyby of Arrokoth in 2019. These missions have expanded our knowledge of the belt's composition and structure. The potential for future exploration includes the possibility of mining resources and establishing outposts on dwarf planets, pending advancements in space travel technology.

🌟 The Hypothetical 'Planet 9' and the Kuiper Belt's Influence

The declassification of Pluto as a planet has led to speculation about the existence of a 'Planet 9' in the Kuiper Belt. This hypothesis is based on the observation of irregular orbits of some KBOs, suggesting the gravitational influence of an undiscovered massive body. While no concrete evidence for 'Planet 9' has been found, the search continues, potentially adding another layer to our understanding of the Solar System.

🔮 Envisioning the Future: The Kuiper Belt's Role in Human Space Exploration

The Kuiper Belt raises intriguing questions about the future of human space exploration. With its vast resources and potential for scientific discovery, the belt could become a target for mining missions and the establishment of outposts. The technological advancements required for such endeavors are a challenge, but they also represent exciting opportunities for the advancement of space travel and our presence in the Solar System.

Keywords

💡Kuiper Belt

The Kuiper Belt is a circumstellar disc located in the outer Solar System, extending from the orbit of Neptune to approximately 50 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun. It is a region rich in small icy bodies and is similar to the asteroid belt but is significantly larger and more massive. The Kuiper Belt is central to the video's theme as it discusses its discovery, composition, and significance in the Solar System's structure. Examples from the script include its comparison to the asteroid belt and its role as the home to officially recognized dwarf planets like Pluto.

💡Dwarf Planets

Dwarf planets are celestial bodies that orbit the Sun, are massive enough to assume a nearly round shape, have not cleared their orbit of other debris, and are not satellites (moons) of other planets. In the context of the video, the Kuiper Belt is noted for housing several dwarf planets, including Pluto, Haumea, and Makemake. The script discusses the reclassification of Pluto from a planet to a dwarf planet, which is a key point in the narrative of how our understanding of the Solar System has evolved.

💡Astronomical Units (AU)

An astronomical unit is a unit of distance used in astronomy, approximately equal to the average distance from the Earth to the Sun, about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. The script uses AU to describe the extent of the Kuiper Belt, starting at Neptune's orbit at 30 AU and extending to about 50 AU from the Sun, providing a sense of scale for the region being discussed.

💡Frozen Volatiles

Frozen volatiles, also known as 'ices,' are substances that are volatile at standard temperature and pressure on Earth but are in a solid state due to the extremely cold conditions in space. The script mentions that most objects in the Kuiper Belt are composed of frozen volatiles such as methane, ammonia, and water, which is a key aspect of the composition and nature of these celestial bodies.

💡Comets

Comets are small Solar System bodies that, when passing close to the Sun, warm up and begin to release gases, creating a visible coma or atmosphere and sometimes a tail. The script discusses the connection between the Kuiper Belt and comets, suggesting that the Kuiper Belt is a source of replenishment for comets, particularly short-period comets.

💡Binaries

In the context of the Kuiper Belt, binaries refer to pairs of celestial bodies that are similar in size or mass and orbit a common center of mass. The script mentions that many objects in the Kuiper Belt are either binaries or have moons, indicating a complex dynamic of celestial mechanics within this region of the Solar System.

💡New Horizons

New Horizons is a NASA spacecraft launched in 2006 for a mission to explore the dwarf planet Pluto and its moons, as well as other objects in the Kuiper Belt. The script highlights the New Horizons mission as a significant event in the exploration of the Kuiper Belt, mentioning its flyby of Pluto and the object Arrokoth, which provided valuable data about these distant bodies.

💡Planet 9

Planet 9 is a hypothetical additional planet in the Solar System that has not been directly observed but is suggested to exist due to the gravitational effects it appears to have on objects in the Kuiper Belt. The script discusses the speculation surrounding Planet 9 as a potential ninth planet, adding intrigue to the narrative of the Solar System's composition.

💡International Astronomical Union (IAU)

The IAU is an international organization of professional astronomers, which sets standards and definitions for various astronomical terms and classifications. The script refers to the IAU's decision in 2006 to redefine what constitutes a planet, leading to the reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet, a pivotal moment in the video's discussion on celestial body classification.

💡Contact Binary

A contact binary is a type of binary system where two celestial bodies of similar size are so close that they touch each other, potentially forming a peanut-shaped structure. The script mentions that the target of the New Horizons 2019 flyby, 2014 MU69, may be a contact binary, illustrating the diversity of celestial formations within the Kuiper Belt.

💡Moons

Moons are natural satellites that orbit planets or other celestial bodies. The script notes that several Kuiper Belt objects, including Pluto, Eris, and Haumea, have moons, indicating the complex systems of celestial bodies within this region and their potential for further study.

Highlights

The Kuiper Belt is a circumstellar disc in the outer Solar System, extending from Neptune's orbit to approximately 50 AU from the Sun.

The Kuiper Belt is 20 times wider and 20 to 200 times more massive than the asteroid belt, consisting mainly of small bodies or remnants from the Solar System's formation.

Most Kuiper Belt objects are composed of frozen volatiles like methane, ammonia, and water, unlike the rock and metal composition of many asteroids.

The Kuiper Belt is home to three officially recognized dwarf planets: Pluto, Haumea, and Makemake.

The discovery of Pluto in 1930 led to speculation about the existence of other objects in the region now known as the Kuiper Belt.

The first direct evidence for the Kuiper Belt's existence was found in 1992, though it was hypothesized in various forms for decades prior.

Astronomer Kenneth Edgeworth hypothesized in 1943 that the region beyond Neptune contained a large number of small bodies that could become comets.

Computer simulations by Tom Quinn and Scott Tremaine suggested the existence of a 'belt' beyond Neptune to explain the origin of short-period comets.

Astronomers David Jewitt and Jane Luu discovered the first confirmed Kuiper Belt object, 1992 QB1, in 1992 after five years of searching.

By 2018, over 2000 Kuiper Belt objects had been discovered, changing our understanding of the Solar System's composition and structure.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) reclassified Pluto as a 'Dwarf Planet' in 2006, along with other similar bodies in the Kuiper Belt.

A significant number of Kuiper Belt objects have moons or are binary objects, suggesting ancient, primordial origins.

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft was the first to visit an object in the Kuiper Belt, flying by Pluto and its moons in July 2015.

New Horizons successfully flew by Arrokoth on January 1, 2019, revealing it to be a contact binary with a red color.

Speculation about a potential 'Planet 9' in the Kuiper Belt has been fueled by the unusual orbits of some objects, suggesting the influence of an undiscovered massive body.

The future exploration of the Kuiper Belt may include mining its resources or establishing outpost stations on dwarf planets.

Transcripts

From what the belt is, to how it's helped change the classification of the solar system,

and more!

Join me as I reveal to you the facts and history of the Kuiper Belt!

9.

What Is The Kuiper Belt?

Despite it being a major part of our solar system, there are many who honestly don't

understand the grand scale and scope of the Kuiper Belt.

So allow us to give you some perspective on the matter.

The Kuiper Belt is a circumstellar disc in the outer Solar System, extending from the

orbit of Neptune (at 30 AU) to approximately 50 AU from the Sun.

It is similar to the asteroid belt, but is far larger—20 times as wide and 20 to 200

times as massive.

Like the asteroid belt, it consists mainly of small bodies or remnants from when the

Solar System formed.

While many asteroids are composed primarily of rock and metal, most Kuiper belt objects

are composed largely of frozen volatiles (termed "ices"), such as methane, ammonia and water.

The Kuiper belt is home to three officially recognized dwarf planets: Pluto, Haumea and

Makemake.

Some of the Solar System's moons, such as Neptune's Triton and Saturn's Phoebe, may

have originated in the region.

In many respects, the Kuiper Belt is the "end" of our solar system in terms of things like

the physical objects that are there and reachable.

The "edge" of the solar system is a slightly different matter as that would either be the

Heliosphere (if you go by magnetic fields) or the Oort Cloud, which is where the suns'

gravity reaches the end of its influence.

But either way, the Kuiper Belt is a major part of our solar system in the literal and

figurative sense.

Which is rather interesting when you think about it because for a very long time we didn't

understand what was truly in that realm of space as a whole.

8.

The Discovery Of The Kuiper Belt To truly understand the Kuiper Belt, we have

to dive into something you're very familiar with, Pluto.

After the discovery of Pluto in 1930, many speculated that it might not be alone.

The region now called the Kuiper belt was hypothesized in various forms for decades.

It was only in 1992 that the first direct evidence for its existence was found.

The number and variety of prior speculations on the nature of the Kuiper belt have led

to continued uncertainty as to who deserves credit for first proposing it.

But let's go back to the beginning and just break it down from there, shall we?

The first astronomer to suggest the existence of a trans-Neptunian population was Frederick

C. Leonard.

Soon after Pluto's discovery by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930, Leonard pondered whether it was "not

likely that in Pluto there has come to light the first of a series of ultra-Neptunian bodies,

the remaining members of which still await discovery but which are destined eventually

to be detected".

That same year, astronomer Armin O. Leuschner suggested that Pluto "may be one of many long-period

planetary objects yet to be discovered."

This is fascinating for all sorts of reasons, not the least of which is that the discovery

of Pluto should have been a finite discovery, or one that led to more study of the planet

and what it could mean as a whole.

Yet many scientists looked upon it and wondered if it was telling us everything we needed

to know about the region.

In 1943, in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association, Kenneth Edgeworth hypothesized

that, in the region beyond Neptune, the material within the primordial solar nebula was too

widely spaced to condense into planets, and so rather condensed into a myriad of smaller

bodies.

From this he concluded that "the outer region of the solar system, beyond the orbits of

the planets, is occupied by a very large number of comparatively small bodies" and that, from

time to time, one of their number "wanders from its own sphere and appears as an occasional

visitor to the inner solar system", becoming a comet.

That's not a bad way to describe what the Kuiper Belt really is, and he was right that

by modern classifications, the various items in the belt weren't able to go and become

fully-fledged planets.

But more on that in a bit.

Before we continue to break down everything that's going on with the Kuiper Belt, be sure

to like or dislike the video, that way we can continue to improve our content for you,

the viewer!

Also be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss ANY of our weekly videos!

7.

Continued Theories The more that astronomers wondered about the

Kuiper Belt, the more that speculations rose and fell about what it is, what it could be,

what it could've been, and more.

There were theories that the Kuiper Belt DID exist in the earlier parts of the solar system,

but that it wasn't around anymore now.

But for the most part, these were just wild guesses and theories as to whether the Kuiper

Belt was there and if it was there, how to define it.

Small advances were made, including finding new entities between Jupiter and Neptune in

terms of area, but it wasn't enough at the time.

Further evidence for the existence of the Kuiper belt later emerged from the study of

comets.

That comets have finite lifespans has been known for some time.

As they approach the Sun, its heat causes their volatile surfaces to sublimate into

space, gradually dispersing them.

In order for comets to continue to be visible over the age of the Solar System, they must

be replenished frequently.

One such area of replenishment is the Oort cloud, a spherical swarm of comets extending

beyond 50,000 AU from the Sun first hypothesised by Dutch astronomer Jan Oort in 1950.

The Oort cloud is thought to be the point of origin of long-period comets, which are

those, like Hale–Bopp, with orbits lasting thousands of years.

Why does this matter?

More than you realize.

Tom Quinn and Scott Tremaine ran a number of computer simulations to determine if all

observed comets could have arrived from the Oort cloud.

They found that the Oort cloud could not account for all short-period comets, particularly

as short-period comets are clustered near the plane of the Solar System, whereas Oort-cloud

comets tend to arrive from any point in the sky.

With a "belt", as Fernández described it, added to the formulations, the simulations

matched observations.

Reportedly because the words "Kuiper" and "comet belt" appeared in the opening sentence

of Fernández's paper, Tremaine named this hypothetical region the "Kuiper belt".

But this was still not the end of its origin.

6.

True Discovery In 1987, astronomer David Jewitt, then at

MIT, became increasingly puzzled by "the apparent emptiness of the outer Solar System".

Which is saying something when you consider how full of stuff our solar system really

is, but that's another matter entirely.

Regardless, he graduate student Jane Luu to help him find something that was "beyond Pluto".

Because in his words, "If we don't, no one will".

Ironically enough, they were using some of the same techniques to search for the objects

that were "beyond Pluto" that others had used to theorize about the Kuiper Belt as a whole.

The difference was that their technology was much stronger, much faster to report findings,

and they had more reach in terms of what telescopes they could use to search for objects.

After five years of searching, Jewitt and Luu announced on August 30, 1992 the "Discovery

of the candidate Kuiper belt object 1992 QB1".

Six months later, they discovered a second object in the region.

By 2018, over 2000 Kuiper belts objects had been discovered.

As various man-made probes approached the area, we further got a look at how the Kuiper

Belt was a disc-like object of incredible size and shape.

And what was found in it not only changed how we looked at the solar system, but it

changed how we defined it.

5.

Dwarf Planets In 1930, as noted earlier, Pluto was discovered,

and it was named as the 9th planet in the solar system.

However, as the theories and then findings of the Kuiper Belt were grown.

Pluto started to get a lot of question marks put around it in regards to whether it was

a true planet, or something else.

As other Dwarf Planets got found in the Kuiper Belt, including some that were equal to mass

or volume of Pluto if not bigger in some regards, the questions grew even more.

Plus, unlike Mercury-Neptune, these "planets" weren't exactly in its own "space", they were

surrounded by thousands upon thousands of objects that made a dense part of space.

Everything changed though in 2006, when the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided

that after many decades of debates, they needed to figure out a concrete way of defining what

a planet was, no matter the consequences and backlash it may cause from the community at

large.

Thus, they made 3 defining "traits" for what a planet MUST be in order to be a true planet.

When these traits were made, it was determined that entities like Pluto, Eris, MakeMake Haumea

and more didn't meet the "qualifications" of being a true planet, and thus a new classification

was formed in that of "Dwarf Planets".

Though not many liked this classification, and many protest it to this day (including

many refusing to say that Pluto isn't a planet), the fact remains that to the general science

population, the planets end with Neptune, and the Kuiper Belt is its own entity entirely.

4.

Moons and Binaries A fairly large number of things in the Kuiper

Belt either have moons -- that is, significantly smaller bodies that orbit them -- or are binary

objects.

Binaries are pairs of objects that are relatively similar in size or mass that orbit around

a point (a shared center of mass) that lies between them.

Some binaries actually touch, creating a sort of peanut shape, creating what's known as

a contact binary.

Pluto, Eris, Haumea and Quaoar are all Kuiper Belt objects that have moons.

Telescope observations suggest the target of the NASA New Horizons spacecraft's 2019

flyby, known as 2014 MU69, may be a contact binary.

One thing that makes binary KBOs particularly interesting is that most of them may be extremely

ancient, or primordial, objects that have been altered little since their formation.

The various ideas for how these pairs form require a lot more objects than the present

day Kuiper Belt appears to contain.

One leading idea is that binaries may result from low-speed collisions between KBOs, which

would allow them to survive the impact and stick together due to their mutual gravity.

Such collisions were likely much more common billions of years ago, when most KBOs were

on similar orbits that were more circular and close to the plane of the planets (called

the ecliptic).

Today such collisions are much rarer.

They also tend to be destructive, since lots of KBOs are on now orbits that are tilted

or elliptical, meaning they crash into each other with greater force and break apart.

3.

Exploration The first spacecraft to enter the Kuiper Belt

region was NASA's Pioneer 10 spacecraft, when it crossed into the space beyond Neptune's

orbit in 1983.

But the first visit to an object in the Kuiper Belt was in July 2015, when NASA's New Horizons

spacecraft flew by Pluto and its moons.

On January 1, 2019, New Horizons successfully flew by Arrokoth, returning data showing Arrokoth

to be a contact binary 32 km long by 16 km wide.

The Ralph instrument aboard New Horizons confirmed Arrokoth's red color.

Data from the fly by will continue to be downloaded over the next 20 months.

No current plans are in place to send something else to the Kuiper Belt

2.

Planet 9 With the declassification of Pluto as a planet

(which we outlined earlier), the solar system as many know it is now down to 8 planets.

But, that may not fully be true.

There has long been speculation that there could be another planet out there in the solar

system.

Further study of the Kuiper Belt has added fuel to that fire in a very simple way.

You see, the outer planets of the solar system were first theorized and then found because

of not just looking in the right areas, but looking at the orbits of certain objects ahead

of them and how things are affected by gravity.

In the Kuiper Belt, there are objects that don't appear to be following the "natural

laws" of gravity, and thus there "must" be another major body out there that is affecting

them.

This has been dubbed "Planet 9", and because of this belief, many are searching the Kuiper

Belt for proof of this "true" ninth planet.

1.

What Will We Do With The Kuiper Belt?

This might seem like an odd question, but it's a legitimate one.

Because there has been much speculation about what humanity will do if we're able to travel

more in our solar system and thus eventually reach the Kuiper Belt.

Aside from studying the various objects that are there, the idea of mining some of the

larger rocks has been brought up.

Just as possible is the notion of setting up outpost stations on some of the dwarf planets

that are there.

Given the size and depth of the belt, the potential to do a lot of things there is mighty.

The only question being when we will be able to get there, and what technology we'll available

to do certain things.

Thanks for watching everyone!

What did you think of this look at the Kuiper Belt and how it not only was found, but how

it helped reshape our look at our own solar system?

Which of these things did you find the most interesting about the belt as a whole?

Do you think there's still so much more to learn about our solar system?

Let us know in the comments below, be sure to subscribe, and I'll see you next time on

the channel!