Changes

== Recognition ==

== Recognition ==

Technically the first object belonging to the Kuiper belt to be discovered was [[Pluto]] in 1930. Next to be discovered was [[Charon]], the [[moon]] of Pluto, in 1978.<ref name=Wilson>Wilson, G. "[http://userpages.umbc.edu/~gwilson/kuiper.html The Kuiper Belt]." n.d. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref> However, the first discovery that caused the astronomical community to recognize the Kuiper belt as a real collection of bodies in the [[solar system]] was that of [[1992 QB1]] in August of 1992.<ref name=Wilson/>

Technically the first object belonging to the Kuiper belt to be discovered was [[Pluto]] in 1930. Next to be discovered was [[Charon]], the [[moon]] of Pluto, in 1978.<ref name=Wilson>Wilson, G. "[http://userpages.umbc.edu/~gwilson/kuiper.html The Kuiper Belt]." n.d. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref> However, the first discovery that caused the astronomical community to recognize the Kuiper belt as a real collection of bodies in the [[solar system]] was that of [[1992 QB1]] in August 1992.<ref name=Wilson/>

== Composition ==

== Composition ==

The number of objects that the Kuiper belt contains is confused. Jewitt estimates more than 70,000<ref name=Jewitt/>, but independent corroboration of this number is singularly lacking. Parker<ref name=Parker>Parker, Joel W. "News and Announcements." ''[http://www.boulder.swri.edu/ekonews/issues/past/n027/html/index.html Distant EKO's: The Kuiper Belt Electronic Newsletter]'', issue 27, January 2003. Accessed June 20, 2003.</ref> counted 651 as of January of 2003. Furthermore, Jewitt states that the 70,000 objects he estimates have diameters of 100 km or greater. Wilson<ref name=Wilson/> calls these "super-comets" thus emphasizing that they are far larger than true comets.

The number of objects that the Kuiper belt contains is confused. Jewitt estimates more than 70,000,<ref name=Jewitt/> but independent corroboration of this number is singularly lacking. Parker<ref name=Parker>Parker, Joel W. "News and Announcements." ''[http://www.boulder.swri.edu/ekonews/issues/past/n027/html/index.html Distant EKO's: The Kuiper Belt Electronic Newsletter]'', issue 27, January 2003. Accessed June 20, 2003.</ref> counted 651 as of January 2003. Furthermore, Jewitt states that the 70,000 objects he estimates have diameters of 100&nbsp;km or greater. Wilson<ref name=Wilson/> calls these "super-comets" thus emphasizing that they are far larger than true comets.

Delsanti and Jewitt<ref name=Delsanti>Delsanti, Audrey, and Jewitt, David. "[http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/faculty/jewitt/papers/2006/DJ06.pdf The Solar System Beyond the Planets]." 2006. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref> now estimate that the total mass of all objects in the Kuiper belt cannot be more than one-tenth the mass of the [[Earth]]. The primary basis of this new estimate is that Kuiper belt objects are now known to be much brighter than originally supposed, and brighter than the members of the Jupiter family of [[comet]]s.

Delsanti and Jewitt<ref name=Delsanti>Delsanti, Audrey, and Jewitt, David. "[http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/faculty/jewitt/papers/2006/DJ06.pdf The Solar System Beyond the Planets]." 2006. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref> now estimate that the total mass of all objects in the Kuiper belt cannot be more than one-tenth the mass of the [[Earth]]. The primary basis of this new estimate is that Kuiper belt objects are now known to be much brighter than originally supposed, and brighter than the members of the Jupiter family of [[comet]]s.

Short-period comets include all those having periods less than 200 years.<ref name=Weisstein>Weisstein, Eric W. "[http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/OortCloud.html Oort Cloud]." ''Eric Weisstein's World of Astronomy'', 1996-2007. Accessed June 2, 2008</ref><ref name=Faulkner1>[[Danny Faulkner|Faulkner, Danny]]. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4108.asp Comets and the Age of the Solar System]." TJ, 11(3):264-273, December 1997. Accessed June 2, 2008.</ref> Almost all of these are prograde, and their orbits are only slightly inclined to the ecliptic.<ref name=Brown>[[Walt Brown|Brown, Walt]]. "[http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/Comets4.html#wp1387242 How Comets Move]." ''[[In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood]], June 16, 2008. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref>

Short-period comets include all those having periods less than 200 years.<ref name=Weisstein>Weisstein, Eric W. "[http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/OortCloud.html Oort Cloud]." ''Eric Weisstein's World of Astronomy'', 1996-2007. Accessed June 2, 2008</ref><ref name=Faulkner1>[[Danny Faulkner|Faulkner, Danny]]. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4108.asp Comets and the Age of the Solar System]." TJ, 11(3):264-273, December 1997. Accessed June 2, 2008.</ref> Almost all of these are prograde, and their orbits are only slightly inclined to the ecliptic.<ref name=Brown>[[Walt Brown|Brown, Walt]]. "[http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/Comets4.html#wp1387242 How Comets Move]." ''[[In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood]], June 16, 2008. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref>

The near-universal consensus among secular astronomers is that the Kuiper belt is the source of short-period comets. But the evidence from current observation poses many problems for this theory. First, as Delsanti and Jewitt have admitted, the total mass of the Kuiper belt is severely limited&mdash;to ten percent of the mass of the earth, including the masses of [[Pluto]] and its moon [[Charon]]. Second, the objects known to exist in the Kuiper belt (however many there may be) have diameters of 100 km or greater, far greater than the diameter of any comet head. Third, even the 70,000 objects that Jewitt estimates that the Kuiper belt contains is far fewer than the billion or so objects that would actually be required to supply short-period comets over the presumed 4.5-billion-year age of the solar system.<ref name=Newton>Newton, Robert. "[Kuiper Belt Objects: Solution to Short-period Comets]?" ''TJ'' 16(2):15-17, August 2002. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref> Fourth, some of these objects, like Pluto, are in orbits that are severely inclined to the ecliptic, totally unlike the short-period comets to which they are supposed to give rise.

The near-universal consensus among secular astronomers is that the Kuiper belt is the source of short-period comets. But the evidence from current observation poses many problems for this theory. First, as Delsanti and Jewitt have admitted, the total mass of the Kuiper belt is severely limited&mdash;to ten percent of the mass of the earth, including the masses of [[Pluto]] and its moon [[Charon]]. Second, the objects known to exist in the Kuiper belt (however many there may be) have diameters of 100&nbsp;km or greater, far greater than the diameter of any comet head. Third, even the 70,000 objects that Jewitt estimates that the Kuiper belt contains is far fewer than the billion or so objects that would actually be required to supply short-period comets over the presumed 4.5-billion-year age of the solar system.<ref name=Newton>Newton, Robert. "[Kuiper Belt Objects: Solution to Short-period Comets]?" ''TJ'' 16(2):15-17, August 2002. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref> Fourth, some of these objects, like Pluto, are in orbits that are severely inclined to the ecliptic, totally unlike the short-period comets to which they are supposed to give rise.

Champions of the short-comet theory contend that actual short-period comets result from fragmentation of the large KBOs or else are simply too dim for Earth-based telescopes to observe.

Champions of the short-comet theory contend that actual short-period comets result from fragmentation of the large KBOs or else are simply too dim for Earth-based telescopes to observe.

== Observation and exploration ==

== Observation and exploration ==

The only observation of the Kuiper belt or of the objects within it has been by Earth observatories and the [[Hubble Space Telescope]]. However, the [[New Horizons mission]], launched on January 19, 2006, will arrive in the Belt in 2015, first to explore Pluto and its moons, and then to explore at least one other KBO. The Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-Starrs) survey project<ref name=PanStarrs>"[http://pan-starrs.ifa.hawaii.edu/public/ Pan-Starrs Home]."</ref> should be completed by then, and its findings might assist New Horizons mission planners in selecting their next target after Pluto.<ref name=Weisstein>Weisstein, Eric W. "[http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/OortCloud.html Oort Cloud]." ''Eric Weisstein's World of Astronomy'', 1996-2007. Accessed June 2, 2008</ref>

The only observation of the Kuiper belt or of the objects within it has been by Earth observatories and the [[Hubble Space Telescope]]. However, the [[New Horizons mission]], launched on January 19, 2006, will arrive in the Belt in 2015, first to explore Pluto and its moons, and then to explore at least one other KBO. The Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-Starrs) survey project<ref name=PanStarrs>"[http://pan-starrs.ifa.hawaii.edu/public/ Pan-Starrs Home]."</ref> should be completed by then, and its findings might assist New Horizons mission planners in selecting their next target after Pluto.<ref name="Weisstein"/>

== References ==

== References ==

*Lisle, Jason. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2005/0805tenth_planet.asp The 'tenth planet' is discovered]." AiG–USA August 5, 2005. Accessed June 20, 2008.

*Lisle, Jason. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2005/0805tenth_planet.asp The 'tenth planet' is discovered]." AiG–USA August 5, 2005. Accessed June 20, 2008.

*[[Jonathan Sarfati|Sarfati, Jonathan]]. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v25/i3/comets.asp Comets-portents of doom or indicators of youth?]." ''Creation'' 25(3):36–40, June 2003. Accessed June 20, 2008.

*[[Jonathan Sarfati|Sarfati, Jonathan]]. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v25/i3/comets.asp Comets-portents of doom or indicators of youth?]." ''Creation'' 25(3):36–40, June 2003. Accessed June 20, 2008.

== See Also ==

== See also ==

* [[Astronomy]]

* [[Astronomy]]

{{Solarsystem}}

{{Solarsystem}}

[[Category:Astronomy]]

[[Category:Astronomy]]