An enormous ring of small rocky, icy bodies stretches from the orbit of Neptune at about 30 AU
(Astronomical Units), all the way out to 50 AU. This region of our solar system, discovered in 1992, is called the Kuiper Belt. The objects within it are called Kuiper Belt Objects, the best known being the dwarf planet Pluto. Since 1992, over 1500 Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) have been discovered, and it is estimated that over 100,000 exist with diameters larger than 100 kilometres. KBOs can be grouped according to properties of their orbits, and across these groups, other distinct features such as differences in colour and size can be seen. This essay will focus on the differences between these groups and what this difference tells us about the objects
(Astronomical Units), all the way out to 50 AU. This region of our solar system, discovered in 1992, is called the Kuiper Belt. The objects within it are called Kuiper Belt Objects, the best known being the dwarf planet Pluto. Since 1992, over 1500 Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) have been discovered, and it is estimated that over 100,000 exist with diameters larger than 100 kilometres. KBOs can be grouped according to properties of their orbits, and across these groups, other distinct features such as differences in colour and size can be seen. This essay will focus on the differences between these groups and what this difference tells us about the objects