Astronomers have discovered a dwarf planet in the Solar system ring

Width of the ring of the dwarf planet Haumea is located 70 km radius – 2287 km.

Astronomers have discovered the fourth-largest dwarf planet in the Solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune, the ring.

The ring was discovered the dwarf planet Haumea, open in the 2004-2005 year, two independent teams of astronomers.

The authors of the new research with 12 European telescopes observed for the dwarf planet at a time as she passed in front of the star URAT1 533-182543.

The main discovery was the existence of the dwarf planet rings with a width of 70 kilometers and a radius – 2287 kilometers, which lies in the same plane as the equator Haumai and his companion Hiiaka.

The astronomers also clarified the parameters Haumea – along the longest axis of the planetoid, at least 2.3 thousand kilometers longer than previously thought. The upper limit of its medium density up to 1.8 kilograms per cubic meter, which makes the object more similar to Pluto.

In this case, the researchers failed to register traces of methane or nitrogen atmosphere, as for Pluto. If the dwarf planet is the gas shell, it is probably too sparse.

Haumea is not the only dwarf planet beyond the orbit of Neptune. This includes Pluto, which proposed to return the status of the planet, Makemake and Eris.

paradox