Abstract
The recent discovery of a large number of Solar System bodies that orbit the Sun beyond Neptune has opened new possibilities to study primordial matter and processes in the early solar nebula. Indeed, Kuiper Belt objects are the most primitive solid bodies in the solar system. Due to their intrinsic faintness and remoteness, these objects are very diffcult to study, and progress is slow. I will review some of the current knowledge about these bodies, with emphasis on their water and organics contents, and the various processes that could have altered their surfaces. Comparisons with other small Solar System bodies will be made. Some of the brigthest objects in the Belt, which are the only ones for which detailed physical studies can be made, have been discovered only recently, and it is postulated that many more await discovery. Furthermore, major on-going or planned ground-based surveys as well as planned space missions should bring important new information on Kuiper Belt Objects. Prospects are therefore very good, and major progress is expected in the near future.
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de Bergh, C. (2004). Kuiper Belt: Water and Organics. In: Ehrenfreund, P., et al. Astrobiology: Future Perspectives. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 305. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-2305-7_9
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