Astronomers have, for the first time, caught a glimpse of rings forming
around a small world in our solar system — a discovery that could
reshape our understanding of how such cosmic structures come to be. Using
data from Brazil’s Pico dos Dias Observatory collected in 2023,
researchers identified four distinct rings, along with surrounding […]
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#^First-Ever Look at a Ring System in Motion as Chiron Builds Its Cosmic HaloAstronomers have, for the first time, caught a glimpse of rings forming around a small world in our solar system — a discovery that could reshape our understanding of how such cosmic structures come to be.
Using data from Brazil’s Pico dos Dias Observatory collected in 2023, researchers identified four distinct rings, along with surrounding diffuse material, encircling 2060 Chiron, which is an icy centaur orbiting between Saturn and Uranus. The findings, reported in
The Astrophysical Journal Letters on 14 October 2025, mark the first observation of a ring system caught in the act of forming.
Centaurs are hybrid celestial bodies, sharing traits of both asteroids and comets. Chiron, first discovered in 1977, measures roughly 200 kilometres across and is made of rock, ice, and organic compounds. Its ring system, scientists believe, could have been born from a violent collision with another body.
Four Rings and a Mystery
The newly identified rings circle Chiron at distances of around 273, 325, 438, and 1,400 kilometres from its centre. However, researchers caution that the outermost ring may not be stable enough to last.
Astronomer Braga Ribas from the Federal University of Technology-Paraná, who co-authored the study, told Reuters: “It is an evolving system that will help us understand the dynamical mechanisms governing the creation of rings and satellites around small bodies, with potential implications for various types of disk dynamics in the universe.”
Rapid Changes Caught Over Time
The team compared their latest data to earlier observations from 2011, 2018, and 2022, revealing that Chiron’s ring system has been changing noticeably in just over a decade. This rapid evolution suggests scientists may be witnessing a temporary, transitional phase; a fleeting moment in the life of a ring system.
Beyond Saturn
Until recently, Saturn was seen as the showpiece of ringed worlds, with
Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune hosting much fainter versions. But discoveries over the past decade have shown that rings are more widespread than once believed, appearing even around dwarf planets like Haumea and Quaoar, and another centaur, Chariklo.
Now, Chiron joins their ranks. But unlike the others, it’s being caught in the act.
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First-Ever Look at a Ring System in Motion as Chiron Builds Its Cosmic Halo appeared first on
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