First Ring System Around Asteroid (2014)

[rbanffy]

https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1410/

[asterismic]

At a diameter of 250KM, and with enough gravity to retain rings, does that mean it also possesses enough gravity for hydrostatic equilibrium?

If so, this qualifies it officially as a dwarf planet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10199_Chariklo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_planet

[JFFalcon → asterismic]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrostatic_equilibrium#Planet... claims the limit of hydrostatic equilibrium for rocky bodies is ~400-500km, so probably not.

[rbanffy → asterismic]

With a diameter of 160 Km, it'd be the smallest one, by far. This is particularly interesting because I don't think there's anything round with this size in the system - and a circular ring indicates that.

Do we have instruments able to directly image it?

[mr_toad → asterismic]

The dimensions listed are 296 × 264 × 204 km. It’s kind-of round-ish, but not spherical.

[9dev]

Could we, somehow, come up with something to add rings to earth? Not because they would be remotely useful, just to make the sky more fun to look at

[wavefunction → 9dev]

We could just kill all the light pollution and give everyone something truly spectacular to look at.

[bdamm → 9dev]

Earth has several rings now; a ring of satellites at geostationary orbit, and an accretion disk of space trash at the equator in LEO.

Also for fun try the "Sky Guide" app and have it alert you when the ISS is visible overhead. That is fun to look at. And the planets have been really nice this month, with Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars all super bright. So nice!

[twic → 9dev]

Ring systems are most enjoyable to look at when you're not in the plane of the rings. From in the plane, you're looking at them side-on, and they're flat, so that's a thin line across the sky. On earth, you would always be (roughly) in the plane.

Really, you want to add rings to the moon.

[twic → twic]

Okay, an earth ring might be pretty good from temperate latitudes:

https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/what-if/wh...

I'd still rather have a terrifyingly large disco ball though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8I25H3bnNw

[huhtenberg → 9dev]

Finally, a practical use for AR goggles!

[jonathanpoulter → 9dev]

LEO billboards?