What is the Kuiper belt?
A) a band of dust in the plane of the ecliptic, extending from near the orbit of Mars to beyond the orbit of Pluto
B) the broadest band of asteroids in the asteroid belt, separated from other bands by Kirkwood gaps
C) the relatively flat distribution of objects in the plane of the ecliptic, extending from around the orbit of Pluto out to about 50 AU from the Sun
D) the approximate spherical distribution of comets centered on the Sun and extending out to about 50,000 AU

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Kuiper belt is a flat distribution of icy objects in the plane of the ecliptic, beyond the orbit of Neptune and extending out to around 50 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun. It is named after Dutch astronomer Gerard Kuiper, who predicted the existence of such a population in the 1950s. The Kuiper belt is home to many dwarf planets, such as Pluto, Haumea, and Makemake, as well as numerous smaller icy bodies.

What Is the Kuiper Belt