New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope reveal that the rings surrounding Chariklo, a small object between Saturn and Uranus, are changing more rapidly than previously thought. Researchers led by Pablo Santos-Sanz of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC) discovered that the inner ring has become more opaque while the outer ring has become less opaque over a period of just a few years.
The discovery, published in *Science Advances*, marks the first evidence of change in Chariklo’s ring system within a few years. The observations were made on October 18, 2022, using a technique called stellar occultation, where Chariklo passed in front of a distant star, briefly blocking its light. By analyzing the dips in brightness, scientists were able to study the rings.
“By comparing JWST observations with those obtained during other stellar occultations over the last decade, we discovered opposite changes in the two rings: while the inner ring shows significantly higher opacity, the outer ring shows lower opacity,” explains Pablo Santos-Sanz, an IAA-CSIC researcher who leads the study. This indicates that the rings are dynamic and influenced by physical processes that are not fully understood.
This observation was also a first for the James Webb Space Telescope, representing the first time a stellar occultation was specifically predicted and successfully observed with the telescope. The observation required precise calculations and execution.
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