Solar system: Second minor planet may possess Saturn-like rings: Chiron may have rings, jets, or shell of dust
Monday, March 16, 2015 - 12:30
in Astronomy & Space
There are only five bodies in our solar system that are known to bear rings. The most obvious is the planet Saturn; to a lesser extent, rings of gas and dust also encircle Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. The fifth member of this haloed group is Chariklo, one of a class of minor planets called centaurs: small, rocky bodies that possess qualities of both asteroids and comets.