James Webb spots changing rings around Chariklo, a 250-km minor body

The James Webb Space Telescope observed Chariklo, a 250-kilometer object orbiting between Saturn and Uranus, and discovered its rings are changing. Comparing data from October 18, 2022, with earlier occultations, researchers found the inner ring grew more opaque while the outer ring became more transparent. This challenges the assumption that ring systems around small bodies are stable, suggesting they may be dynamic structures.

Our results force us to rethink how they form, how they evolve, and what mechanisms maintain their stability.