The universe of full of surprises. The dwarf planet planet Quaoar which is beyond Neptune in our solar system, appears to have a ring of debris around it that is much further out than was thought possible.
Now, every ring or orbiting moon observed has obeyed a limit put forward by astronomer Édouard Roche in 1848 The universe that relates to its distance from a parent body.
If an object is below the Roche limit, Its parent body’s gravity rips apart the orbiting object into a collection of smaller chunks which eventually form a ring, like those seen around Saturn. Outside that limit, dust and debris should coalesce to form larger objects, such as moon.
Source:
Wilkins , Alex, 2023. Dwarf planet Quaoar has a weirdly big ring of debris encircling it, New Scientist. 8 February.
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