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Distances

Classical Kuiper belt: size, dimension and comparison

The adopted reference is about 1.496E10 km.

reference outer diameter ≈ 100 AU

14.96 billion km ≈ 14,960 million km. One billion kilometers is 1,000 million kilometers.

A ring of small bodies beyond Neptune.

Explore at this scale
Classical Kuiper belt, interpreted illustration
Interpreted illustration · dimension stated in the fact sheet.

What does this number measure?

The classical belt occupies approximately the region from 30 to 50 AU from the Sun; 100 AU represents the schematic outer diameter of this region here. The actual belt is thick and structured, with no sharp edge; scattered objects can lie much farther out. Particle density and sizes are exaggerated in the drawing.

Compare the stated dimensions

The comparison uses the number in each fact sheet: altitude, height, diameter, length or distance, depending on the reference. Two values in metres do not necessarily describe the same property.

Compare with Sun–heliopause distance in the explorer →

Source and limitations

Proposed documented order of magnitude; source linked, not individually audited during this session. Model regions and boundaries are highly uncertain.

Classical Kuiper Belt: projected ring with a reference horizontal outer diameter. The band approximately evokes the model's 30–50 AU region; the points are symbolic, with neither sizes to scale nor an observed density. The Sun is a reference drawn out of scale.