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What do you think of when someone says “solar system”?
The Sun? The Moon? The eight planets? Well then, here’s a
surprise. Scientists believe that more than 99.9 percent of the
solar system lies beyond the orbit of Neptune. That’s a lot of
space!
The planets are surrounded by a huge area of space called
the Kuiper belt. It’s home to three of the dwarf planets—
Pluto, Haumea, and Makemake. Scientists have also spotted
at least 1,300 smaller icy objects there. And that’s just the
beginning. The belt may contain more than 100,000 objects
that are more than 30 miles (50 km) across. Wow!
Q:
Which dwarf planet
has signs of life?
A:
Scientists think there
are fleas on Pluto.
What’s the
Kuiper Belt?
