Rings form around icy celestial body Chiron

CHIRON ORBITS THE SUN IN THE EXPANSE BETWEEN SATURN AND URANUS

- REUTERS

The rings of Saturn are among the wonders of our solar system, with a diameter of roughly 175,000 miles (280,000 km) as they encircle the giant planet.

But smaller celestial bodies in the solar system also boast ring systems that are impressive in their own right, even if their scale is not as grand.

Scientists said they have observed for the first time a ring system in the process of formation and evolution, consisting of four rings and diffuse material, surrounding a small icy body called Chiron that orbits the sun in the expanse between Saturn and Uranus.

Chiron is part of a class of objects called centaurs that populate the outer solar system between Jupiter and Neptune, displaying characteristics of both asteroids and comets. Formally called "(2060) Chiron," it has a diameter of about 200 km (125 miles) and takes about 50 years to complete one orbit around the sun. Centaurs are composed mainly of rock, water ice and complex organic compounds.