Solar system
The solar system continues to be a place full of mysteries and discoveries to be made. What are its confines and limits?
The vast space that makes up Our solar system continues to be a territory full of secrets to discover. Although we might think we know every corner of our cosmic neighborhood, the reality is that there is still much to explore and understand.
Even concepts as basic as the number of planets in our solar system are the subject of ongoing debate and exploration. The existence or not of a ninth planet, for example, remains a mystery that intrigues the scientific community. This fact alone reveals that The understanding of the universe we inhabit is far from complete.
Pluto and its environment
Since its discovery in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, Pluto has been the subject of debate and controversy in the field of astronomy. Initially considered the ninth planet in the solar system, in 2006 the International Astronomical Union decided to reclassify Pluto as a “dwarf planet” due to its small size and eccentric orbit. Despite this redefinition, Pluto remains an object of interest to scientists, who continue to study its characteristics and environment.
But what awaits us beyond Pluto? As space missions advance and new technologies are developed, we are getting closer to finding out. One of the most intriguing regions in the solar system is the Kuiper Belt., a region full of small icy bodies and dwarf planets that extends beyond the orbit of Neptune. In this region, there are objects such as Eris, Haumea and Makemake, which share similar characteristics to Pluto and help us better understand the diversity of bodies that inhabit our solar system.
Farthest regions
In addition to the Kuiper belt, There are other regions even more distant and mysterious ones waiting to be explored. One of them is the Oort cloud, a vast cloud of comets and icy bodies that extends up to a light-year from the Sun. This region, which is believed to be the origin of many of the comets that visit our system solar, remains an enigma for scientists, who hope to be able to send space missions to study it closely in the near future.
The Kuiper Belt
The Kuiper Belt It is a region of space beyond Neptune.. This area is located at the outer limits of our solar system. It is an intriguing and diverse region of space, composed mainly of icy objects, dwarf planets, dust and comets.
In that icy world, where temperatures barely exceed absolute zero, even volatile ices like carbon monoxide freezes on its surface.
One of the most famous inhabitants of the Kuiper belt is Pluto, the first object officially discovered in this distant region. Sedna is another prominent resident of the Kuiper Belt, and is about three-quarters the size of Pluto. Arrokoth, formerly known as Ultima Thule, is another fascinating object from this area.
In addition to Pluto, Sedna and Arrokoth, The Kuiper Belt is home to a variety of other interesting objects. Eris, slightly smaller than Pluto, and Haumea, with its peculiar shape like a squashed American football, are just two more examples of the richness of this icy kingdom at the edge of the solar system.
Spaceship New Horizonsreleased in 2006, continues to explore the Kuiper Belt from a unique location, more than 50 times the distance between Earth and the Sun. This spacecraft has provided unprecedented observations and continues to have the ability to visit more objects in this distant region.
Beyond Pluto
Some scientists have suggested that beyond Pluto’s orbit lies a hitherto unknown region. In this remote area, It is estimated that there are at least a dozen astronomical objects of significant size which could be classified as dwarf planets or even full planets.
This fascinating discovery took place approximately 60 Astronomical Units from the Sun, far beyond the known Kuiper belt. This is where scientists They have found evidence of up to 12 celestial bodies that could radically alter our perception of the Solar System.
Researchers managed to identify these mysterious bodies while searching for new targets for the ship. New Horizons from NASA. This probe, which is already at a considerable distance from us, approximately 57 Astronomical Units, has been experiencing constant impacts from dust particles.
Scientists believe that these unexpected crashes could be related to the presence of objects not yet detected in that remote area.
The second Kuiper belt
The previous discovery reinforces an idea that we already knew, but that is still impressive: The Sun’s influence extends far beyond the eight major planets which form the core of our solar system.
In fact, it has been hypothesized that beyond Neptune, the last of the known planets, solar space continues. It has even been estimated that that area covers at least another 100 Astronomical Units.
As we see, there are still many mysteries to discover beyond Pluto, the ancient ninth planet of the solar system.
Recommended readings
Pluto and the far reaches of the solar system
From the sun to the ends of the solar system
