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Smallest Kuiper Belt Object Detected

Smallest Kuiper Belt Object Detected
This is an artist's impression of a one-half-mile-diameter Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) that was detected by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The icy relic from the early solar system is too small for Hubble to photograph. The object was detected when it passed in front of a background star, temporarily disrupting the starlight.

About the Object

  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    4.2 billion miles (6.8 billion kilometers)
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    3,200 feet across

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
    The science team includes: H. Schlichting (California Institute of Technology/University of Toronto), E. Ofek (California Institute of Technology/Einstein Fellow), M. Wenz (NASA/GSFC), R. Sari (California Institute of Technology/Hebrew University), A. Gal-Yam (Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel), M. Livio and E. Nelan (STScI), and S. Zucker (Tel Aviv University).
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    HST>FGS
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Kuiper Belt Object
  • Release Date
    December 16, 2009
  • Science Release
    Hubble Finds Smallest Kuiper Belt Object Ever Seen
    Read the release
  • Credit
    NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)

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Related Images & Videos

Kuiper Belt Object Occults Star

Kuiper Belt Object Occults Star

This is an artist's impression of a small Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) occulting a star. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope recorded this brief event and allowed astronomers to determine that the KBO was only one-half of a mile across, setting a new record for the smallest object ever...

Hubble Detects Smallest Known Kuiper Belt Object

Hubble Detects Smallest Known Kuiper Belt Object

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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