A new planetary ring has been found on the edge of our solar system - and beyond the limit of where it was thought they could survive.
Astronomers say its discovery calls into question existing theories about how ring systems are formed.
Quaoar orbits the sun beyond Neptune, and its wispy hoop is at a distance of more than seven planetary radii - that's twice as far out as ring systems were thought possible. To compare, the main rings around Saturn lie within three planetary radii. It was thought they were able to survive because of their close orbit, as the forces created prevent them from breaking away and growing into moons.
But while Saturn's rings - as well as those of the other giant planets Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune - are well known, Quaoar's are so small and faint that they cannot be seen directly in an image. Researchers only saw them during an occultation, when the light from a background star was blocked by the small planet while it orbited the sun.Mars disappearing behind the moonQuaoar's occultation lasted less than a minute, but it was surprisingly preceded and followed by two dips in light, indicating the presence of a ring system.
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