Our perception of the Solar System, particularly its outer parts, has changed greatly in the last 15 years. We now recognize three major domains, those of the rocky planets, the giant planets and the comets, and we are beginning to understand the connections and inter-relations between these domains. The region beyond Neptune, in particular, has emerged as a rich repository of clues about the formation and early evolution of the solar system. The so-called Kuiper Belt, discovered with the UH 88-inch telescope on Mauna Kea in 1992, is a major source of comets and other planet-crossing bodies. It also contains some of the least thermally processed matter within observational reach.

In this talk I will present an accessible overview of the newest Solar System results with a focus on the source of the Earth's oceans.