'We hope [to] gain insight into why this small body even has rings at all, and perhaps detect new fainter rings.'
"We hope [to] gain insight into why this small body even has rings at all, and perhaps detect new fainter rings.""We hope [to] gain insight into why this small body even has rings at all, and perhaps detect new fainter rings.": Chariklo, a distinct type of object known as a Centaur that's somewhere between an asteroid and a comet, had its own Saturn-like rings — two of them, in fact.
Because it's so dark in those reaches of the solar system, starlight is needed to illuminate the Centaur. However, that requires Chariklo to fall across the path of a star that also happens to be in view of the Webb at the same time. The chance crossing of paths — and the technique of using it for observation — is called an occultation.
According to NASA, it's the "first stellar occultation attempted" with the Webb, and by using its near-infrared camera , the astronomers spotted dips in the curve of the object's brightness that corresponded with Chariklo's two rings, "demonstrating a new way of using Webb to explore solar system objects," the team wrote.The astronomers soon came back for a second look using sunlight reflected in the rings, this time without the help of an occultation.
"As we delve deeper into the data, we will explore whether we cleanly resolve the two rings," said Pablo Santos-Sanz, an astronomer from the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia. "From the shapes of rings' occultation light curves, we also will explore the rings' thickness, the sizes and colors of the ring particles, and more," he added. "We hope [to] gain insight into why this small body even has rings at all, and perhaps detect new fainter rings."
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
See a stunning field of galaxies captured by James Webb | Digital TrendsStunning images from James Webb continue to entrance, and recently the researchers using the telescope have shared a gorgeous image of a field of galaxies.
Read more »
Scientists Say There's an Upside to Those Rocks That Keep Bludgeoning the James WebbThere might be an upside to NASA's James Webb Space Telescope being pelted by showers of micrometeorites once to twice a month.
Read more »
At soggy SF Giants fan fest, Logan Webb reflects on ‘weird’ offseason, meeting with Judge, Correa10-12K attend SF Giants fanfest, where Logan Webb and Brandon Crawford were the main draws after missing out on two high-profile free-agent pursuits.
Read more »
Shania Twain has us seeing spots in wacky suit on Grammys 2023 red carpetThe “From this Moment On” singer was black and white and red all over at Sunday’s musical awards show.
Read more »
Super Bowl 2023 ads: A preview of the spots Canadians might missMost of the commercials that air during the biggest TV advertising day of the year won't be seen in Canada during the game. Here are some you can watch now ...
Read more »