Kuiper belt
See also: Kuiper Belt
English
editEtymology
editNamed after the astronomer Gerard Kuiper (1905-1973); and belt.
Pronunciation
edit- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkaɪ.pə(ɹ).bɛlt/, IPA(key): /ˈkʌɪpə bɛlt/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈkaɪ.pɚ.bɛlt/
- Hyphenation: Kui‧per belt
Note: “Kuiper” is a Dutch surname and may also be pronounced in the Dutch manner. Gerard Kuiper himself lived in the U.S. and used the American pronunciation above. The Dutch word kuiper and the English word cooper have the same etymology and meaning, so that's another possibility.
Proper noun
edit- (astronomy) A region of space between 30 and 50 astronomical units from the Sun, roughly confined within a thick band around the ecliptic of the Solar System. This area is populated by many thousands of trans-Neptunian objects.
Synonyms
editHypernyms
editDerived terms
editRelated terms
editTranslations
editregion of space in the Solar System
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Noun
editKuiper belt (plural Kuiper belts)
- (astronomy) A type of asteroid belt, expected to exist in the outer regions of planetary systems, that forms an annular belt or disc around the system's center, lies beyond the region of major-planet formation, and at its outer extent may reach the inner region of an Oort cloud.