Evolving Orbits – over time, gravitational perturbations may have caused the orbit of Pluto to become more elliptical. digital, 2004, copyright Don Dixon
Diagram of the sun and planets showing their relative scale. The bluish haze beyond the orbit of Neptune represents the inner Kuiper Belt where dwell Pluto and other minor planets. The relative distances of the planets are NOT to scale. Diagram created for Scientific American in 2006.
Spacecraft Probe the Kuiper Belt
499 - The Rosetta and New Horizons spacecraft explore different realms of the Kuiper Belt. Rosetta’s complex trajectory to rendezvous with Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko is shown in brown. The orbit of Comet 67P is green. New Horizon’s path to Pluto is red. The main Kuiper Belt is in blue. A few Kuiper Belt Objects are shown near the camera. Digital painting by Don Dixon for Scientific American, November 2014.