The unexpected discovery of a large ring around the dwarf planet Quaoar

by Alexis Brandeker (Stockholm University)

Wednesday 15 Feb 2023, 13:30 → 14:30 Europe/Stockholm

Albano 3: 6228 - Mega (22 seats) (Albano Building 3)

https://stockholmuniversity.zoom.us/j/530682073

 

Quaoar orbits the Sun beyond Neptune, and is famous for being one of the dwarf planets responsible for demoting Pluto from its planet status. As one of the larger dwarf planets in a growing family of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), it has been the subject of intense scrutiny that among other things have revealed a companion moon (Weywot). The latest development, presented last week by a large international collaboration including Stockholm University, is the discovery of a large dense ring orbiting Quaoar. The size of the ring is particularly surprising since it is well outside the region where rings are expected to form (the Roche limit). In this talk we will put current TNO research into a scientific context, review how star occultations observed from both ground and space are used to great effect, and discuss implications and future prospects.

Brandeker_2023-Feb-15.mp4