There are many variations in the things present in the universe and the solar system, to be specific. These different things have different roles to play in the solar system.
Key Takeaways
- Kuiper Belt is a region of the solar system beyond Neptune, containing mainly small icy bodies. In contrast, Oort Cloud is a theoretical spherical cloud surrounding the solar system, containing icy bodies and comets.
- Kuiper Belt is relatively close to the Sun and contains objects with shorter orbits, whereas Oort Cloud is much farther away and contains objects with longer orbits.
- Kuiper Belt objects are believed to be the source of short-period comets, while Oort Cloud objects are the source of long-period comets.
Kuiper Belt vs Oort Cloud
The difference between the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud is their appearance or their shapes, to be precise. The Kuiper belt has a disc-like shaped appearance. On the other hand, the Oort cloud has a spherical shaped appearance. Other than their appearance, these two elements have other distinguishing characteristic features.
A disc-like-shaped element in the solar system around the vicinity of a star resembling an asteroid belt is known as the Kuiper belt.
The theoretical concept about the description of a cloud that existed in the developing stages of the solar system located surrounding the Sun at a certain distance range is known as the Oort cloud.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Kuiper Belt | Oort Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | A disc-like shaped element that exists in the solar system around the vicinity of a star resembling an asteroid belt is known as the Kuiper belt. | The theoretical concept about the description of a cloud that existed in the developing stages of the solar system located surrounding the Sun at a certain distance range is known as the Oort cloud. |
| Named after | Gerard Peter Kuiper | Jan Hedrik Oort |
| Shape | Disc-shaped | The inner Oort cloud is disc-shaped and the outer Oort cloud is spherical-shaped. |
| Location | Beyond the orbit of Neptune. | In the surrounding of the Sun. |
| Objects | Not distributed by the stars and the sun. | Distributed by the stars and the sun. |
What is Kuiper Belt?
A disc-like-shaped element in the solar system around the vicinity of a star resembling an asteroid belt is known as the Kuiper belt. It is made up of methane, ammonia and water.
The Kuiper belt has a resemblance to an asteroid belt. However, the Kuiper belt is much larger than an asteroid belt. The term “Kuiper belt” was derived from the name of a Dutch astronomer, Gerard Peter Kuiper.
A minor planet called Albion was discovered to exist in the Kuiper belt in the year 1992. Initially, the Kuiper belt was considered the storage of short-term comets.
For the exploration of the Kuiper belt, a spacecraft named “New Horizons” was dispatched on 19 January 2006. The main motto of sending the spacecraft was to find and track down other objects in the Kuiper belt.
What is Oort Cloud?
The theoretical concept about the description of a cloud that existed in the developing stages of the solar system located surrounding the Sun at a certain distance range is known as the Oort cloud.
The inner Oort cloud is also known as the Hills cloud, has a disc-shaped appearance. On the other hand, the outer Oort cloud has a spherical-shaped appearance.
Many long-term comets reside in the Oort cloud. Comets with an orbital period greater than 200 years are known as long-term comets.
The Oort cloud is a significant element of the solar system. The Oort cloud not only contains comets but also contains asteroids. It is also considered the defining element of the solar system’s boundary.
Main Differences Between Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud
- The term “Kuiper belt” is derived from the name of Dutch astronomer Gerard Peter Kuiper. On the other hand, the term “Oort cloud” is derived from the name of Dutch astronomer Jan Hendrik Oort.
- The Oort cloud objects are distributed by the stars or the Sun. On the other hand, the objects from the Kuiper belt are not distributed by the stars and the Sun.
- https://www.nature.com/articles/344825a0
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103502000568
Last Updated : 14 October, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
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