Dave Jewitt and Jane luu were the first the identify and catalog and object further than Pluto. From then on, there was a procession and progression through the 1990's of astronomical technology that lead to many discoveries. The Hubble space craft captured a "double System" inside the Kuiper belt. Where smaller icy bodies orbit a bright object all while orbiting the sun.
Predicting the size of the objects is difficult because of the distance of the belt itself. Most calculated diameters are assumptions from how reflective an objects surface is. Large objects like, Pluto and its moon Eris, have known sizes because of infrared observation technology (Spitzer Space Telescope). Many of the objects are named after God's and Goddesses, much like many things in the solar system.
Dunford, Bill, and Philips Davis. "Solar System Exploration." Solar System Exploration. NASA, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
"Kuiper Belt Facts - Interesting Facts about the Kuiper Belt." Space Facts RSS. N.p., 10 Sept. 2014. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.
"Kuiper Belt Facts - Interesting Facts about the Kuiper Belt." Space Facts RSS. N.p., 10 Sept. 2014. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.
Very informative blog I did the Kuiper Belt too and I still learned stuff. Its so interesting to me all the things unknown and how quickly they can come about. Furthermore, it's interesting how some of these objects are discovered through other means other than a telescope because of the vast distance. infrared and math seem to be of great use to scientist when trying to discover new objects.
ReplyDelete