James Webb Telescope Tracked Chariklo Ring Changes
Observations of a stellar occultation in 2022 revealed significant shifts in the opacity of the asteroid's ring system.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Space
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Researchers utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope recorded changes in the opacity of asteroid Chariklo's two-ring system during a 2022 stellar occultation. The findings, published in Science Advances on 9 September 2026, detail how the inner ring's opacity increased by 42% compared to earlier data.
Why it matters
Understanding the dynamic nature of ring systems around small solar system bodies like Chariklo refines our models of planetary formation and debris evolution. These observations allow astronomers to track material density changes across a body located 2.3 billion kilometers from the Sun.
The observation confirmed the inner ring's opacity surged by 42% relative to historical data, marking a distinct change in the 14-kilometer gap separating the two rings of the 302-kilometer-wide asteroid.
The players
James Webb Space Telescope
An infrared space observatory positioned at the L2 Lagrange point designed to conduct high-resolution observations of solar system and deep space phenomena.
Gaia mission
A European Space Agency project mapping the positions and motions of stars to create a precise three-dimensional database of the galaxy.
The details
Astronomers utilized the James Webb Space Telescope to monitor a stellar occultation—an event where an asteroid passes directly in front of a distant star, temporarily blocking its light. By measuring how the starlight flickered as it passed through the ring system, the team was able to infer changes in ring density. The team identified the necessary stellar alignments by searching the Gaia mission database, a catalog of precise stellar positions and movements created by the European Space Agency.
Timeline
2013: Discovery of the Chariklo ring system.
October 2022: James Webb Space Telescope observed a stellar occultation.
9 September 2026: Research findings were published in Science Advances.
5 years: Estimated interval until the next potential stellar occultation event.
The Tech Race
This research follows a pattern set by the Gaia mission's astrometric survey, which provides the positional accuracy required to time rare occultation events. Such observations are critical to competing efforts in solar system mapping that aim to characterize small, distant bodies beyond traditional direct imaging.
These findings provide a baseline for planetary scientists and astronomers to model how ring systems evolve over decade-long cycles. The next opportunity for researchers to capture similar data on Chariklo is estimated to occur in approximately 5 years.
The takeaway
The observation shows that small asteroid rings are significantly more dynamic than previously assumed. Astronomers will now look toward the next predicted stellar occultation in approximately 5 years to determine if the increased ring opacity is a permanent shift or a transient event.
Further reading
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