kuiper belt object
/ˈkaɪpəɹ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.36 in modern English
35
Scrabble Score
16
Letters
3
Syllables
12
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A trans-Neptunian object (TNO) (a type of minor planet) that has an orbit in the Kuiper belt (between 30-50 AU) with inclinations consistent with the ecliptic.
noun
Alternative letter-case form of Kuiper belt object.
Example Sentences
- "Numerous Kuiper Belt objects orbit each other in this way though. And this raises one of the enduring debates of science: is Pluto actually a planet? On size alone, another Kuiper Belt object (2003 UB313) has to be given the planet accolade as well. […] Professor [Monica] Grady said: "When Pluto was first found it was fair enough to call it a planet. For me it seems pretty clear that Pluto is a Kuiper Belt object.[…]""
- "[David C.] Jewitt stared through telescopes for five years before finding the first recognized Kuiper Belt object, 1992 QB1, a 150-mile wide chunk of ice and dirt. […] Caltech astronomer Mike Brown, who has spent much of his career discovering Kuiper Belt objects, said Jewitt’s success resulted from a combination of creativity and stubbornness."
- "An artist's concept of Arrokoth, a Kuiper Belt object visited by the New Horizons spacecraft in 2019."