EASC 108 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud, Body Force

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Earth Sciences
• Course: EASC 108
• Professor: Glyn Williams- Jones

Document Summary

Only large rocky planets have enough heat for activity. Tidal heating can melt internal ice, driving activity. Probably have geological features similar to medium-sized ice moons. Large body of small objects orbiting (short period) sun in a radial zone extending out from orbit of neptune (30au) to ~50 au. Long period comets ( period> 200 years) seem to come mostly from a spherical region at ~50,000 au from sun. Any minor planet that orbits sun at a greater avg distance than neptune, 30. Known kbos have increased to > 1000. In 1992, 1992 qb1 was discovered , first (kbo) since pluto. 100,000 kbos over 100 km in diam thought to exist. Which is kbo and which is moon . Dwarf planets: 5 for now, but many more to come. Reclassified as an asteroid its in the asteroid belt! Iau currently recognizes 5 dwarf planets in solar system. Outer solar system objects move very slowly.