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Kuiper-belt-object definition

Any of the small icy bodies orbiting the sun in the Kuiper belt, generally having a diameter less than Pluto's. Pluto is a large Kuiper belt object that was probably captured in its present solar orbit by an encounter with the planet Neptune.
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(astronomy) A type of trans-Neptunian object (TNO) (a certain type of minor planet) that has an orbit in the Kuiper belt (between 30-50 AU) with inclinations consistent with the ecliptic.
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Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
kuiper-belt-object
Plural:
kuiper-belt-objects

Origin of kuiper-belt-object

  • After Gerard Kuiper (1905–1973), Dutch-born American astronomer who speculated about the existence of such bodies

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Eponym after Gerard Kuiper, who theorized about the belt's existence.

    From Wiktionary