In June 2013, astronomers follow the passage of Chariklo in front of a star. They expect to see its light disappear when this little body occults it. Several observatories monitor the same event in order to deduce information on the size and shape of Chariklo.
But the light also dims briefly before and after the main occultation. These additional decreases are in response. The analysis leads to a discovery announced in 2014: two narrow rings surround Chariklo. The rings are therefore not a privilege reserved for giant planets like Saturn.
Their detection is not based on a detailed photograph similar to Cassini’s views. It comes from the light of a distant star filtered by intervening materials. The origin of the rings remains another question. In this investigation, what seemed to happen “too soon” was not a failure of the observation: the star revealed something around the object, before the object itself passed.
What we know
Detection by occultation in 2013, announces in 2014; formation of rings not established here.
To go to the source
References consulted on September 21, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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