Celestial body -Chiron:
Astronomers for the first time observed a ring system formation around icy celestial body Chiron.
- Chiron is part of a class of objects called centaurs (which populate the outer solar system between Jupiter and Neptune), displaying characteristics of both asteroids and comets.
- It was discovered in 1977 by astronomer Charles Kowal.
- Features of Celestial body –Chiron
- It has a diameter of about 200 kilometers (125 miles) and takes about 50 years to complete one orbit around the sun.
- Ring system: Its observations clearly showed that it is surrounded by well-defined 4 rings. The three inner rings are embedded within dust swirling around in a disk-like shape.
- These rings are likely composed mainly of water ice mixed with small amounts of rocky material, like those of Saturn.
- It mainly consists of rock, water ice and complex organic compounds.
- Chiron exhibits occasional comet-like activity – ejecting gas and dust into space.
- A method called stellar occultation was used by a team including Brazilian, French and Spanish researchers to observe the rings.
