What is the Oort Cloud?
Answer – The Oort cloud is the theoretical collection of small, icy bodies that revolve around the Sun with an orbit wider than that of the last planet in the Solar system.
Explanation:
Beyond the Solar system, there is theorized to be a dense belt or cloud of small, icy bodies that revolve around the Sun. This is called the Oort cloud after the Danish astronomer Jan Oort who put forward the theory of its existence.
The Oort cloud is at a great distance from the Sun, lying farther than the orbit of Pluto. The inner boundary of the cloud lies at a distance of about 100,000 AU (astronomical units) from the Sun. It consists of hundreds of trillions of objects whose diameters range around 100 km.
The Oort cloud is not visible from Earth. However, it is believed to be the source of comets whose appearances are far apart due to their large orbits (lasting about 200 years or longer).
