The solar system is a very vast place that contains countless objects. You already know that the sun is at the center of the solar system. The eight planets, including Earth, and the dwarf planets orbit around it. Satellites or moons move around some of the planets and dwarf planets while moving around the sun, too. Planets, dwarf planets, and their moons—you have already learned of so many objects found in the solar system. However, they are not the only ones traveling around the sun. In fact, there are many other objects found in the solar system! Let us divide them into two categories.

Asteroid Belt Objects

The asteroid belt is found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The belt is composed of asteroids which are mostly irregularly-shaped objects smaller than planets but bigger than meteoroids. Aside from asteroids, the dwarf planet, Ceres, also resides in the asteroid belt.

The asteroid belt is divided into two regions: the outer belt and the inner belt. The outer belt mostly has rocky asteroids which are rich in carbon. The inner belt has silicate-rich and metal-rich asteroids.

Trans-Neptunian Objects

Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are all the objects encircling the sun beyond the orbit of Neptune. There are three regions beyond Neptune where TNOs lie: the Kuiper Belt, the scattered disc, and the Oort cloud.

The Kuiper Belt is a doughnut-shaped area of space. It is made up millions of cold, rocky objects. Most of the objects in it are made of ice. These objects move in a circular or elliptical orbit around the sun. The dwarf planets Pluto, Haumea, and Makemake are found in the Kuiper Belt.

The scattered disc lies in the outer area of the Kuiper Belt. Objects in this area have highly irregular orbits. They are said to have probably escaped Kuiper Belt’s stable orbits. They can also be small objects disturbed off their orbits by Neptune’s gravity. The dwarf planet Eris is found in the scattered disc.

The Oort cloud is not really a cloud but a large spherical cluster of comets found at the very edge of the solar system. Comets are small solar system bodies composed of dust and ice. Some of them can be found in the Kuiper Belt but most reside in the Oort cloud. Sometimes, comets are knocked off the cluster and sent toward the inner solar system. As they get nearer to the sun, the comets grow warmer. Slowly, they shine and melt, leaving behind a tail of ice and dust called coma.

The solar system is still a mystery. There are many more objects found in it that haven’t been discovered yet. However, scientists continue to explore the vast areas of space to learn more about Earth’s neighbors. There are constant news of new planets or other bodies found within and outside our solar system. Who knows, maybe you will discover something new about our universe someday!