<P> The Kuiper belt ( / ˈkaɪpər / or Dutch pronunciation : ( ' kœy̯pər ) ) , occasionally called the Edgeworth -- Kuiper belt , is a circumstellar disc in the outer Solar System , extending from the orbit of Neptune ( at 30 AU ) to approximately 50 AU from the Sun . It is similar to the asteroid belt , but is far larger -- 20 times as wide and 20 to 200 times as massive . Like the asteroid belt , it consists mainly of small bodies or remnants from when the Solar System formed . While many asteroids are composed primarily of rock and metal , most Kuiper belt objects are composed largely of frozen volatiles ( termed `` ices '' ) , such as methane , ammonia and water . The Kuiper belt is home to three officially recognized dwarf planets : Pluto , Haumea and Makemake . Some of the Solar System 's moons , such as Neptune 's Triton and Saturn 's Phoebe , may have originated in the region . </P>
the kuiper belt is an outer asteroid belt consisting of what types of solar system bodies
small bodies or remnants from when the Solar System formed