09-02-2023, 02:03 PM
For those who do not know Quaoar, it is one of the four minor (or dwarf) planets with Pluto in the Kuiper Belt. On average, it is the second furthest away from the sun. Only Makemake is further.
Andrew Griffin
Thu, 9 February 2023 at 12:45 am SGT
A ring that scientists had thought couldn’t exist has been found around a planet in our Solar System.
The ring is similar to those that famously wrap around other nearby planets, such as Saturn. But it was found on a much smaller world: the newly discovered dwarf planet Quaoar.
What’s more, the ring is much further away than scientists thought it could possibly be. The new ring is twice as far from Quaoar as researchers had thought was allowed by physics.
As such, it requires a rewrite of our understanding of the formation of planetary rings and the physics that govern them. That in turn could help us better understand the more famous rings around better known planets, such as Saturn and Jupiter.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/scientists-sho...51896.html
Andrew Griffin
Thu, 9 February 2023 at 12:45 am SGT
A ring that scientists had thought couldn’t exist has been found around a planet in our Solar System.
The ring is similar to those that famously wrap around other nearby planets, such as Saturn. But it was found on a much smaller world: the newly discovered dwarf planet Quaoar.
What’s more, the ring is much further away than scientists thought it could possibly be. The new ring is twice as far from Quaoar as researchers had thought was allowed by physics.
As such, it requires a rewrite of our understanding of the formation of planetary rings and the physics that govern them. That in turn could help us better understand the more famous rings around better known planets, such as Saturn and Jupiter.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/scientists-sho...51896.html