It’s not just the rings of Saturn to arouse the greatest global astronomical attention, because the now experts are focusing on a brand new system, described in great detail in an article that appeared in the specialized journal “Nature”. The discovery that astounded scientists occurred in the outermost part of the solar system.
Thanks to a powerful telescope, the HiPERCAM located in the Canary Islands, it was possible to visualize a ring around a dwarf planet, much further away than it should be according to traditional canons. The surprise was inevitable and we are trying to get to the bottom of the matter.
The planet and distant rings
First of all, it must be specified that the ring system refers to the planet 50000 Quaoar. It is nothing but a trans-Neptunian object of large dimensions that orbits the Sun in an almost circular way, with temperatures as rigid as never before on the surface. The position of the ring is the detail that amazes most of all. In fact, it lies far outside the theoretical maximum of survival as regards the classical scientific theories. It is certainly one of the most complex systems ever. The vision, among other things, is not even simple for a very specific reason.
The ring in question is too narrow to think of being able to benefit from a direct view, without forgetting that 50,000 Quaoar is a long way from Earth. Telescopic detection was made possible by the so-called occultation, the phenomenon according to which a planet passes directly in front of a star: this means that the silhouette of the celestial object becomes sharper and can be observed for a short time from Earth. Occultations are even predicted in advance, so astronomers have long been waiting for observe the dwarf planet more accurately. What was particularly noticed?
The debris that make up the ring system
One of the most curious aspects of this ring system is undoubtedly the set of small depressions. The distance of the ring has been quantified in addition seven planetary rays, i.e. twice the maximum recognized and ascertained so far (the so-called “Roche limit”). Within this limit, the planet tends to exert very intense tidal forces which prevent the debris that makes up the ring itself from amalgamating into a moon. Furthermore, the denser regions of 50,000 Qaoar of rock and ice aggregate, causing more debris to gravitate toward the lump.
According to the most modern theories, this will create a snowball effect that will lead to the formation of a small moon within a couple of decades. However, there are some observations still to be completed to understand how it is possible that such a distant ring can remain stable. The debris could be less ‘sticky’, with ring fragments more likely to bounce off each other during collisions. It is sure that from now on what is considered a full-fledged planetoid as 50000 Qaoars it will become even more of a fascinating object of study.