1. Spectroscopy of Kuiper Belt Objects Sarah Hörst Ge/Ay 132 16 March 2004 Picture Courtesy of Dave Jewitt

2. Importance of KBOs KBOs possess important information about the early Solar System Why are they all different? Not “pristine,” but what does that tell us?

3. What We Know 1993SC- CH 4, N 2 1996 TL 66 - flat, neutral 1996 TO 66 - patchy, amorphous water ice 2000 EB173 (Huya)- flat, featureless 2002 LM60 (Quaoar)- CH 4, crystalline water ice

4. 1993 SC

6. From Brown, Blake and Kessler 2000

7. Quaoar

8. Conclusions Some spectra are flat and featureless while others show water ice, methane ice, etc Do not understand why they are different Do not understand formation mechanism Need better spectra or a field trip to the Kuiper Belt