The vast region known as the _______ is believed to contain a significant number of icy bodies that originate from gravitational interactions with the outer planets, contributing to our understanding of solar system dynamics.

The vast region known as the Oort Cloud is believed to contain a large number of icy bodies that were scattered by the giant planets when the solar system first formed. These comets were thrown far out by Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, and their orbits are now held in a spherical shell around the Sun. By studying the Oort Cloud’s composition and motion, scientists learn how the planets shaped the early solar system. For example, a comet that returns after a 10,000‑year orbit tells us the gravitational tug of Neptune that sent it there.