What is the term for the ring of celestial bodies located billions of miles beyond the orbit of Neptune?

Prepare for the Spaatz Aerospace Exam. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Learn with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

The term for the ring of celestial bodies located billions of miles beyond the orbit of Neptune is indeed the Kuiper Belt. This region is home to a vast array of icy bodies, including dwarf planets such as Pluto, Haumea, and Makemake, along with countless smaller objects. The Kuiper Belt is part of our solar system and extends from the orbit of Neptune (approximately 30 astronomical units from the Sun) to about 55 astronomical units.

Its significance lies in its role as a source of many comets and as a remnant of the early solar system, offering insights into its formation and evolution. The Kuiper Belt is also distinct from the Oort Cloud, which is a more distant, spherical shell surrounding the solar system and believed to be the source of long-period comets.

The other options, such as the Asteroid Belt, are located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, and the Orion Arm refers to a region in our galaxy where the solar system is located, which is unrelated to this question about celestial bodies beyond Neptune.

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