More Observational Evidence for Kuiper Belt
TNRTB Archive – Retained for reference information
New observations of the outer solar system strengthen support for the Kuiper Belt, a feature consistent with RTB’s cosmic creation model. This outer belt of difficult-to-detect objects has been proffered as the source of the short-period comets (those with an orbital period less than 200 years) in the solar system. Some young-earth creationist organizations have claimed the existence of short-period comets proved the youth of the solar system, because such objects have not been around very long and die out quickly. Conversely, most scientists have argued for a band of trans-Neptunian objects (called the Kuiper Belt) that resupplies the short-period comets on a continuous basis. A team of international astronomers detected over 66 objects belonging to the Kuiper Belt, adding to the more than 1000 objects discovered by other groups. As scientists make more sensitive observations, the case for RTB’s cosmic creation model grows while evidence for young-universe models diminishes.
- J.-M. Petit et al., “The Kuiper Belt Luminosity Function from mR = 22 to 25,” MNRAS 365 (2006): 429-38.
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mnr.2006.365.issue-2/issuetoc
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