Report by Swasti Sharma
Scientists have discovered a new ring system present on the edge of the Solar System.
Ring system is a ring or disc formed when astronomical objects orbit a heavenly body. It is made up of solid material like dust.
The recent ring system has been discovered around a dwarf planet named Quaoar.
The dwarf planet is nearly half the size of Pluto.
The discovery was made by an international team of astronomers using HiPERCAM.
HiPERCAM is an extremely sensitive high-speed camera developed by scientists at the University of Sheffield. It is mounted on the world’s largest optical telescope, Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) with the diameter of 10.4 metres on La Palma. The rings are quite small and undetectable if we see it on an image. So, the researchers made their discovery by observing an occultation (the interruption of light from a celestial body).
When the light from a background star was blocked by Quaoar as it orbits the Sun, the ring system was discovered. This took nearly a minute to end but resulted in the discovery.
Ring systems are rare in the solar system. There are several well-known rings around the giant planets like Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune and only two other minor planets possess rings – Chariklo and Haumea.
According to researchers, the previously known ring systems are able to survive because they orbit close to the parent body The tidal forces of the parent body help to prevent the gathering of ring material. If the ring material accretes (gets together), a moon will be formed. The discovery of this ring system is quite unique because it orbits a dwarf planet. Moreover, it is at a distance of approximately radii of seven planets.
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