Changes

The '''Kuiper Belt''', or the '''Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt''', is a zone immediately beyond the orbit of [[Neptune]] and includes all objects in orbit around the [[Sun]] that remain between 30 AU and 50 AU distant from the Sun. It is the largest single collection of known [[Trans-Neptunian Objects]].<ref name=Jewitt>Jewitt, David. "[http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/faculty/jewitt/kb.html Kuiper Belt]." University of Hawaii, n.d. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref> The name is in honor of [[Gerard P. Kuiper]], the [[astronomy|astronomer]] who in 1951 first hypothesized its existence and its possible role as the host and source of short-period [[comet]]s.<ref name=Arnett>Arnett, Bill. "[http://www.nineplanets.org/kboc.html The Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud]." ''The <s>Nine</s> 8 Planets'', March 18, 2007. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref><ref name=Hamilton>Hamilton, Calvin J. "[http://www.solarviews.com/eng/kuiper.htm The Kuiper Belt]." ''Views of the Solar System'', 2001. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref> Occasional references mention [[Kenneth E. Edgeworth]] as having hypothesized an outlying source of short-period comets in 1943, before Gerard P. Kuiper published his paper.<ref name=sol>"[http://www.solstation.com/stars/kuiper.htm Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt and Dust Disk]." Sol Company, 2008. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref><ref name=Orrery>"[http://www.harmsy.freeuk.com/kuiper.html The Kuiper Belt]." ''SpaceTech's Orrery'', n.d. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref>

{{OortKuiperSedna}}The '''Kuiper Belt''', or the '''Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt''', is a zone immediately beyond the orbit of [[Neptune]] and includes all objects in orbit around the [[Sun]] that remain between 30 AU and 50 AU distant from the Sun. It is the largest single collection of known [[Trans-Neptunian Objects]].<ref name=Jewitt>Jewitt, David. "[http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/faculty/jewitt/kb.html Kuiper Belt]." University of Hawaii, n.d. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref> The name is in honor of [[Gerard P. Kuiper]], the [[astronomy|astronomer]] who in 1951 first hypothesized its existence and its possible role as the host and source of short-period [[comet]]s.<ref name=Arnett>Arnett, Bill. "[http://www.nineplanets.org/kboc.html The Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud]." ''The <s>Nine</s> 8 Planets'', March 18, 2007. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref><ref name=Hamilton>Hamilton, Calvin J. "[http://www.solarviews.com/eng/kuiper.htm The Kuiper Belt]." ''Views of the Solar System'', 2001. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref> Occasional references mention [[Kenneth E. Edgeworth]] as having hypothesized an outlying source of short-period comets in 1943, before Gerard P. Kuiper published his paper.<ref name=sol>"[http://www.solstation.com/stars/kuiper.htm Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt and Dust Disk]." Sol Company, 2008. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref><ref name=Orrery>"[http://www.harmsy.freeuk.com/kuiper.html The Kuiper Belt]." ''SpaceTech's Orrery'', n.d. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref>

The definition of the Kuiper belt appears somewhat confused. Some astronomers appear to use the terms "Kuiper belt object" (KBO) and "trans-Neptunian object" (TNO) to refer to the same class of objects.<ref name=Jewitt/><ref name=Johnston>Johnston, William Robert. "[http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/astro/tnos.html Trans-Neptunian Objects]." ''The Johnston Archive'', October 1, 2007. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref> This is not correct. A ''trans-Neptunian object'' is any object having a [[semi-major axis]] higher than that of [[Neptune]]. A ''Kuiper belt object'' is an object that remains between 30 AU and 55 AU distant from the Sun. Thus the Kuiper belt is a ''subset'' of trans-Neptunian objects.<ref name=Faure>Faure, Gérard. "[http://www.astrosurf.com/aude/map/us/AstFamilies2004-05-20.htm Description of the System of Asteroids as of May 20, 2004]," Richard Miles, trans. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref>

The definition of the Kuiper belt appears somewhat confused. Some astronomers appear to use the terms "Kuiper belt object" (KBO) and "trans-Neptunian object" (TNO) to refer to the same class of objects.<ref name=Jewitt/><ref name=Johnston>Johnston, William Robert. "[http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/astro/tnos.html Trans-Neptunian Objects]." ''The Johnston Archive'', October 1, 2007. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref> This is not correct. A ''trans-Neptunian object'' is any object having a [[semi-major axis]] higher than that of [[Neptune]]. A ''Kuiper belt object'' is an object that remains between 30 AU and 55 AU distant from the Sun. Thus the Kuiper belt is a ''subset'' of trans-Neptunian objects.<ref name=Faure>Faure, Gérard. "[http://www.astrosurf.com/aude/map/us/AstFamilies2004-05-20.htm Description of the System of Asteroids as of May 20, 2004]," Richard Miles, trans. Accessed June 20, 2008.</ref>