Kuiper Belt (world)

The Kuiper Belt is a collection of dwarf worlds and icy planetoids lying at the outer edge of the Terra system.

• Kuiper Belt. Trans-Neptunian Objects.
• Heliosphere to Heliopause to Interstellar Medium
• Remote System
• Orbits 13 to 144
• Up to 2 Light Weeks away from Primary Star

Description / Specifications

The Kuiper Belt lies at the outer edge of the Terra system. It contains thousands of icy bodies larger than 100 km and an estimated trillion or more "dirty snowballs".

Belt Structure

The structure of the Kuiper Belt is governed by orbital resonances between its worlds and the gas giant Neptune.

The inner part of the Kuiper Belt is considered to lie between 30 AU and 40 AU from Sol.

• Objects orbiting within this region are known as plutinos.
• Neptune, with an orbital distance of 30.1 AU from Sol, lies just within the inner edge of the Kuiper Belt.

The main part of the Kuiper Belt is considered to lie between 40 AU and 48 AU from Sol.

• Objects orbiting within this region are known as cubewanos.
• The majority of Kuiper Belt objects are concentrated within this region.
  • The main part of the belt is generally accepted to extend from the 2:3 mean-motion orbital resonance region (the orbit of Pluto, at approximately 39.5 AU) to the 1:2 resonance region (beyond the orbit of Varda, at roughly 48 AU).

The outer part of the Kuiper Belt is considered to lie between 48 AU and 100 AU from Sol.

• Objects orbiting within this region are known as twotinos.

Inner Belt Region

Objects orbiting within the Inner Belt Region – within the orbit of Pluto – are referred to as plutino objects.

Orcus

Orcus (UWP Y100000-0) is a plutino Kuiper Belt object and is classified as a worldlet. It orbits Sol at a mean distance of 39.4 AU and has an orbital period of 247 years 106 days. Its rotation period is 13.2 hours. Orcus has a diameter of 910 km, a mean density of 1.5 g/cm³, and a surface gravity of 0.019 G. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -241°C. Orcus is a rugged, pale reddish, generally spherical body with a light degree of cratering. It has a relatively high albedo.

• Orcus has a differentiated internal structure consisting of a core composed of silicates, crystalline water-ice (H₂O) and crystalline methane-ice (CH₄) and a crust composed mainly of crystalline water-ice and methane-ice containing tholins.

Vanth

Vanth (UWP YS00000-0) is the only satellite of Orcus and is classified as a worldlet. It orbits its parent world at a mean separation of 9.3 diameters (9,000 km) and has an orbital period of 9.6 days. It is tidally locked to Orcus. Vanth has a diameter of 280 km, a mean density of 1.5 g/cm³, and a surface gravity of 0.0006 G. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -242°C. Vanth is a rugged, pale grey-red, irregularly shaped spheroid with little cratering.

• Vanth is composed of silicates, crystalline water-ice (H₂O) and crystalline methane-ice (CH₄) and contains relatively high levels of tholins.

Pluto

Pluto

Charon

Pluto (UWP F20046C-F N Px Rs) is a large plutino Kuiper Belt object and the namesake of its type: it is classified as a worldlet. It and its family of satellites orbit Sol at a mean distance of 39.48 AU and have an orbital period of 247 years 344 days.

• Pluto's orbit is out of alignment with the plane of the Solar system: its orbit is inclined at an angle of 17°.
• Pluto has a high orbital eccentricity. At perihelion it lies at 29.7 AU from Sol (within the orbit of Neptune), and at aphelion it lies at 49.3 AU.
• Pluto is the location of an Imperial Navy base.
• Pluto is the site of a prison.
• Pluto is the location of a research facility.
  • Popular opinion holds that Pluto is an Ancients site.
• Any approach to Pluto closer than 1 AU (149.6 million km) is expressly forbidden.

Satellites

Pluto has one major satellite, named Charon, and four minor satellites named Styx, Nix, Kerberos and Hydra.

Main Belt Region

Ixion

Ixion (UWP Y100000-0) is a cubewano Kuiper Belt object and is classified as a worldlet. It orbits Sol at a mean distance of 39.7 AU and has an orbital period of 249 years 67 days. Its rotation period is 12.4 hours. Ixion has a diameter of 801 km, a mean density of 1.5 g/cm³, and a surface gravity of 0.0011 G. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -244°C. Ixion is a rugged, pale reddish, generally spherical body with a light degree of cratering. It has a relatively high albedo.

• Ixion has a differentiated internal structure consisting of silicates, crystalline water-ice (H₂O) and crystalline methane-ice (CH₄), and a composed mainly of crystalline water-ice and crystalline methane-ice with traces of tholins.

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Haumea

Haumea (UWP Y100000-0) is a cubewano Kuiper Belt object and is classified as a worldlet. It orbits Sol at a mean distance of 43.13 AU and has an orbital period of 285 years 165 days. Its rotation period is 3.9 hours. Haumea has a diameter of 1,630 km, a mean density of 1.89 g/cm³, and a surface gravity of 0.04 G. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -241°C. Haumea is a rugged, mottled grey, very oblate spheroid with a moderate degree of cratering.

• Makemake has a differentiated internal structure consisting of a rocky core and a crust composed mainly of crystalline water-ice (H₂O).
• Haumea's unusual shape and rapid rotation are considered to be the result of an ancient collision with another Kuyper Belt object.

Ring System

Haumea's ring system (UWP YR00000-0) lies at a mean distance of 2,300 km from Haumea. It forms a narrow torus around its parent world and has a mean width of 40 km. It is composed of tens of thousands of irregular fragments of dust, silicates, and crystalline water-ice (H₂O) with diameters ranging from a few millimeters to tens of centimeters.

• The ring system objects are considered to be the remnants of an ancient collision between Haumea and another Kuyper Belt object.
• The rings are relatively dark in comparison to Haumea and its satellites.

Namaka

Namaka (UWP YS00000-0) is the inner satellite of Haumea and is classified as a worldlet. It has an elliptical orbit around its parent world with a mean separation of 15.7 diameters (25,600 km) and an orbital period of 18 days. It is tidally locked to Haumea. Namaka has a diameter of 170 km, a mean density of 1.5 g/cm³, and a surface gravity of 0.0016 G. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -242°C. Namaka is a tiny, rugged, pale grey irregular spheroid with little cratering.

• Namaka is largely composed crystalline water-ice (H₂O), mixed with smaller quantities of silicates. Crystalline water-ice forms the predominant surface material.
• Namaka is considered to be a remnant of an ancient collision between Haumea and another Kuyper Belt object.

Hi'iaka

Hi'iaka (UWP YS00000-0) is the outer satellite of Haumea and is classified as a worldlet. It orbits Haumea at a mean distance of 30.7 diameters (49,900 km) and has an orbital period of 49 days 3 hours. Its rotation period is 9.8 hours. Hi'iaka has a diameter of 320 km, a mean density of 1.5 g/cm³, and a surface gravity of 0.0031 G. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -240°C. Hi'iaka is a rugged, pale grey irregular spheroid with little cratering.

• Hi'iaka is largely composed crystalline water-ice (H₂O), mixed with smaller quantities of silicates. Crystalline water-ice forms the predominant surface material.
• Hi'iaka (which has a very rapid rotation) is considered to be a remnant of an ancient collision between Haumea and another Kuyper Belt object.

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Quaoar

Quaoar (UWP Y100000-0) is a cubewano Kuiper Belt object and is classified as a worldlet. It orbits Sol at a mean distance of 43.3 AU and has an orbital period of 287 years 194 days. Its rotation period is 17.7 hours. Quaoar has a diameter of 1,074 km, a mean density of 2.2 g/cm³, and a surface gravity of 0.034 G. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -231°C. Quaoar is a rugged grey sphere with a moderate degree of cratering.

• Quaoar's orbit is out of alignment with the plane of the Solar system: its orbit is inclined at an angle of 8°.

Weywot

Weywot (UWP YS00000-0) is the only satellite of Quaoar and is classified as a worldlet. It orbits its parent world at a mean separation of 13.5 diameters (14,500 km) and has an orbital period of 12.5 days. Its rotation period is 8.8 hours. Weywot has a diameter of 74 km, a mean density of 1.9 g/cm³, and a surface gravity of less than 0.001 G. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -233°C. Weywot is a tiny, rugged grey spheroid with a moderate degree of cratering.

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Varda

Varda (UWP YS00000-0) is a cubewano Kuiper Belt object and is classified as a worldlet. It orbits Sol at a mean distance of 45.6 AU (6.8 billion km), it has an orbital period of 308 years 102 days and a rotation period of 6 hours. Eris has a diameter of 705 km, a mean density of 1.27 g/cm³ and a surface gravity of 0.006 G. The world is geologically inert. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -231°C. Eris is a rugged, red-tinged pale grey sphere with a moderate degree of cratering.

• Varda has a high orbital eccentricity. At perihelion it lies at 39.17 AU from Sol and at aphelion it lies at 52.1 AU.

Ilmarë

Ilmarë (UWP YS00000-0) is the only satellite of Varda and is classified as a worldlet. It orbits its parent world at a mean separation of 6.8 diameters (4,800 km) and has an orbital period of 5 days 18 hours: Ilmarë is tidally locked to Varda. Ilmarë has a diameter of 361 km, a mean density of 1.2 g/cm³ and a surface gravity of less than 0.0031 G. The world is geologically inert. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -231°C. Eris is a rugged, red-tinged pale grey sphere with a moderate degree of cratering.

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Makemake

Makemake (UWP Y100000-0) is a cubewano Kuiper Belt object and is classified as a worldlet. It orbits Sol at a mean distance of 45.71 AU and has an orbital period of 309 years 35 days. Its rotation period is 22.5 hours. Makemake has a diameter of 1,420 km, a mean density of 1.7 g/cm³, and a surface gravity of 0.051 G. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -239°C. Makemake is a rugged, reddish-grey sphere with a moderate degree of cratering and a high albedo.

• Makemake has a high orbital eccentricity. At perihelion it lies at 38.59 AU from Sol and at aphelion it lies at 52.84 AU.
• Makemake has a differentiated internal structure consisting of a rocky core and a crust composed mainly of methane (CH₄) and ethane (C₂H₆), with a thin covering of fine dust. Its reddish appearance is due to a strong concentration of tholins contained in the hydrocarbon ice of the surface.

S/2015 (136472) 1

S/2015 (136472) 1 (more commonly called MK 2) (UWP YS00000-0) is the only satellite of Makemake and is classified as a worldlet. It orbits its parent world at a mean separation of 14.8 diameters (21,100 km) and has an orbital period of 12 days. MK 2 has a diameter of 175 km, a mean density of 1.6 g/cm³, and a surface gravity of 0.016 G. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -240°C. MK 2 is a tiny rugged grey sphere with a moderate degree of cratering.

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Chaos

Chaos (UWP YS00000-0) is a cubewano Kuiper Belt object and is classified as a worldlet. It orbits Sol at a mean distance of 50.3 AU (7.5 billion km), it has an orbital period of 309 years 336 days and a rotation period of 3 days 23 hours. Chaos has a diameter of 290 km, a mean density of 1.6 g/cm³ and a surface gravity of 0.0015 G. The world is geologically inert. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -245°C. Chaos is a tiny, rugged, reddish colored oblate spheroid with a light degree of cratering.

• Chaos has a high orbital eccentricity. At perihelion it lies at 40.92 AU from Sol and at aphelion it lies at 50.27 AU.

Outer Belt Region

The outer part of the Kuiper Belt is called the Scattered Disc Region and is considered to lie between 48 AU and 100 AU from Sol. It contains a much lower density of large objects relative to the inner region of the belt. Objects located within this region are referred to as twotinos.

• The region where object sizes dramatically reduce is called the Kuiper Cliff.

Eris

Eris (UWP Y100000-0) is a twotino Kuiper Belt object and is classified as a worldlet. It orbits Sol at a mean distance of 68 AU (10.1 billion km), it has an orbital period of 561.4 years and a rotation period of 8 hours. Eris has a diameter of 2,326 km, a mean density of 2.52 g/cm³ and a surface gravity of 0.084 G. The world is geologically inert. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -231°C. Eris is a rugged, red-tinged pale grey sphere with a moderate degree of cratering.

• Eris has a high orbital eccentricity. At perihelion it lies at 37.91 AU from Sol and at aphelion it lies at 97.65 AU.
• Eris's orbit is out of alignment with the plane of the Solar system: its orbit is inclined at an angle of 44°.
• Sedna has a differentiated internal structure consisting of a core composed of silicates, and crystalline water-ice (H₂O) and methane-ice (CH₄, and a crust composed of frozen nitrogen (N), methane (CH₄), and carbon dioxide (CO). Its distinct reddish appearance is due to the concentrations of tholins within the hydrocarbon ice of the surface.

Dysnomia

Dysnomia (UWP YS00000-0) is the only satellite of Eris and is classified as a worldlet. It orbits its parent world at a mean separation of 16 diameters (37,350 km) and has an orbital period of 16 days. Dysnomia has a diameter of 685 km, a mean density of 1.8 g/cm³, and a surface gravity of 0.0014 G. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -237°C. Dysnomia is a tiny, rugged, dark grey sphere with a moderate degree of cratering.

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Sedna

Sedna (UWP Y100000-0) is a twotino Kuiper Belt object and is classified as a worldlet. It orbits Sol at a mean distance of 89.6 AU (13.4 billion km), it has an orbital period of 11,408 years and a rotation period of 10.3 hours. Sedna has a diameter of 1,180 km, a mean density of 2.01 g/cm³ and a surface gravity of 0.045 G. The world is geologically inert. The atmosphere is rated as Vacuum. The world has no hydrosphere. Mean surface temperature: -240°C. Sedna is a rugged, reddish colored sphere with a moderate degree of cratering.

• Sedna has a high orbital eccentricity. At perihelion it lies at 76.16 AU from Sol and at aphelion it lies at 1,004 AU.
• Sedna has a differentiated internal structure consisting of a rocky core and a crust composed of frozen methane (CH₄) and methanol (CH₃OH), with a thin covering of fine dust. Its distinct reddish appearance is due to the high concentrations of tholins within the hydrocarbon ice of the surface.

Native Lifeforms

No body within the Kuiper Belt is known to have native life.

History & Background / Dossier

Pluto was the first Kuyper Belt object to be discovered, in the year -2592, by observations from the surface of Terra. A significant surface feature, the Tombaugh Planitia, is named for the astronomer that first observed the world.

References & Contributors / Sources

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• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master Scout Emeritus Adie Alegoric Stewart of the IISS
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science