rings

Dwarf Planet Quaoar has a Ring

Quaoar is one of about 3,000 dwarf planets in our Solar System's Kuiper Belt. Astronomers discovered it in 2002. It's…

1 year ago

Are Low Density “Cotton Candy” Exoplanets Actually Just Regular Planets With Rings?

There's a type of exoplanet that astronomers sometimes refer to as cotton candy planets, or super-puffs. They're mysterious, because their…

4 years ago

Dwarf Planet Haumea Has a Ring

A unique opportunity to study the dwarf planet Haumea has led to an intriguing discovery: Haumea is surrounded by a…

6 years ago

Unprecedented Views of Saturn’s Rings as Cassini Dances Death Spiral

As the Cassini spacecraft moves ever closer to Saturn, new images provide some of the most-detailed views yet of the…

7 years ago

Why Do Planets Have Rings?

Planet come in a wide variety of sizes, compositions, and colors - and they can sometimes have rings. Where do…

8 years ago

Saturn’s Rings Continue to Surprise Scientists

If you try to apply simple common sense to how Saturn's rings really work you're going to be sorely mistaken:…

8 years ago

What Would Earth Look Like With Rings?

People have often wondered what Earth would look like if it had Saturn's rings. JPL's Kevin Gill lets them know…

8 years ago

“Super Saturn” Has an Enormous Ring System and Maybe Even Exomoons

Astronomers watching the repeated and drawn-out dimming of a relatively nearby Sun-like star have interpreted their observations to indicate an eclipse…

9 years ago

If Earth Had Saturn’s Rings, This is What it Would Look Like

We Earthlings love to dream, conjure and extrapolate. If you pose a question such as, "What if Earth had Saturn's…

9 years ago

Surprise! Asteroid Hosts A Two-Ring Circus Above Its Surface

Rings are a tough phenomenon to spot. As late as 1977, astronomers thought that the only thing in the solar…

10 years ago