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.
noun
(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.
noun
Advertisement
Other Word Forms
Noun
Singular:
kuiper-belt-object
Plural:
kuiper-belt-objects