New Discovery in Outer Solar System

[N_Molson]

Here's an artist view of the thing :

Interesting. I guess that the asteroid "patiently collected" dust orbiting near him at low relative velocities to form those wings over ages. The escape velocity is very low for such a small body, I guess.

 

[statickid]

For some reason I picture the ring to be much more diffuse (barely visible?) than what they are showing there... :hmm: who came up with that rendition? Is it based on anything or did somebody just draw rings around an asteroid

 

[sorindafabico]

For some reason I picture the ring to be much more diffuse (barely visible?) than what they are showing there... :hmm: who came up with that rendition? Is it based on anything or did somebody just draw rings around an asteroid

I'd bet the white color is for contrast. Since the rings were discovered by transit, the picture is is as close to reality as any illustration of exoplanets.

 

[Aion]

Here's an artist view of the thing :

Interesting. I guess that the asteroid "patiently collected" dust orbiting near him at low relative velocities to form those wings over ages. The escape velocity is very low for such a small body, I guess.

According to the ESOcast video linked earlier it suggests the presence of one or more shepherd moons

 

[JonnyBGoode]

Would it be easy to replicate this in Orbiter using a mirror of Saturn's moons or something?

 

[boogabooga]

Chiron too?
http://www.cnet.com/news/solar-system-centaur-might-have-rings-like-saturn/

 

[Treetop64]

Interesting indeed. The comments section on the Guardian article has some gems as well...

As for the CNN comments...
Yeah, I'm not even gonna go there. :rofl:

Internet comment sections have always been popular with conspiritards and hoaxterds, because no one listens to them anywhere else.

 

[jedidia]

For some reason I picture the ring to be much more diffuse (barely visible?)

Considering how little light you get out there, just about anything would be barely visible, so the point is kind of moot.

 

[Unstung]

The discovery of a second ringed centaur makes these objects more interesting because rings now seem to be a common feature among them. Maybe New Horizons will give some insight into centaurs from its KBO flyby. It's hard to foresee a future mission to a centaur-like object otherwise.