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- The James Webb Space Telescope observed the minor planet Chariklo during a rare stellar occultation to analyze its two narrow rings.
- Data revealed that the inner ring has become more opaque while the outer ring has become more transparent since the rings were first discovered in 2013.
- These observations suggest that ring systems around small bodies can evolve on timescales of just a few years.
- This finding challenges previous scientific assumptions that such rings remain stable over centuries.
What to watch next
- Future stellar occultations by Chariklo to track ongoing ring changes.
- Investigation into whether observed changes are caused by physical evolution or observational differences.
- Searches for similar dynamic ring behavior in other minor planets.
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Named Brazil · France · Hungary · Spain · United States · Chariklo · European Space Agency · Gaia · Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia · James Webb Space Telescope · Spanish National Research Council
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