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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

Ring discovered around dwarf planet Quaoar confounds theories

The ring is around Quaoar, a Pluto-sized dwarf planet orbiting beyond Neptune.
The ring is around Quaoar, a Pluto-sized dwarf planet orbiting beyond Neptune. Photograph: University of Sheffield / Nature

Astronomers have spotted a ring around a dwarf planet called Quaoar in the outer reaches of the solar system.

The observations, by a powerful telescope on La Palma, reveal the ring to be much further away from the planet than is typical, calling into question how such systems form.

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