- Astronomers from the University of Sheffield have found a new ring system in our Solar System
- The rings are around Quaoar, which is a Pluto-sized dwarf planet orbiting beyond Neptune
- Quaoar's rings are unique, orbiting much further away from the planet than the rings around Saturn, posing a challenge to ring formation theories
- The discovery was made by a large team of international scientists using HiPERCAM - an extremely sensitive camera developed by scientists at the University of Sheffield which is mounted on the world's largest optical telescope on La Palma
Scientists have discovered a new ring system around a dwarf planet on the edge of the Solar System. The ring system orbits much further out than is typical for other ring systems, calling into question current theories of how ring systems are formed.
The ring system is around a dwarf planet, named Quaoar, which is approximately half the size of Pluto and orbits the Sun beyond Neptune.
The discovery, published in Nature, was made by an international team of astronomers using HiPERCAM - an extremely sensitive high-speed camera developed by scientists at the University of Sheffield which is mounted on the world's largest optical telescope, the 10.4 metre diameter Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) on La Palma.
The rings are too small and faint to see directly in an image. Instead, the researchers made their discovery by observing an occultation, when the light from a background star was blocked by Quaoar as it orbits the Sun. The event lasted less than a minute, but was unexpectedly preceded and followed by two dips in light, indicative of a ring system around Quaoar.
