Exoplanet Ring System 200 Times Larger than Saturn's Rings

Gigantic ring system around J1407b much larger, heavier than Saturn's

artist's impression


The ring system (the first exoplanet ring system discovered) was discovered back in 2012, but researchers recently were able to discern the size and scope of the rings by analyzing its parent star shining through it as the ringed planet passed in front of the star.

Astronomers at the Leiden Observatory, The Netherlands, and the University of Rochester, USA, have discovered that the ring system that they see eclipse the very young Sun-like star J1407 is of enormous proportions, much larger and heavier than the ring system of Saturn. The ring system - the first of its kind to be found outside our solar system - was discovered in 2012 by a team led by Rochester's Eric Mamajek....

..."This planet is much larger than Jupiter or Saturn, and its ring system is roughly 200 times larger than Saturn's rings are today," said co-author Mamajek, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Rochester. "You could think of it as kind of a super Saturn."

Here is a representative illustration of how they used the light from the parent star to figure out the size and density of the rings, plus the size of the gaps. It is thought that the gaps represent places where there may be moons orbiting this planet
Source

Wow that must be a lovely sight to see. Maybe one day we can sight see the cosmos (my dream vacation).

I was thinking that planet must be super dense to have that much debris locked in by gravity. But it seems this is mostly ice and dusty material.

Ah the sunset there must be lovely

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

WOW!

Now that is something else and would be too cool to see.

Wonder what it would look like in our night skies if Saturn's were that big.

Is it possible that it's actually not rings like Saturn's but rather an accreation disk because the planet is still forming I wonder?

In any case, that is cool!

Holy cow, I just lost a little bit of respect for Saturn I think, lol.

That's really impressive looking, it's amazing how they figure this stuff out. That would definitely be one of my first stops on my hitchhikers guide to the galaxy.

originally posted by: eriktheawful
a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

WOW!

Now that is something else and would be too cool to see.

Wonder what it would look like in our night skies if Saturn's were that big.

Is it possible that it's actually not rings like Saturn's but rather an accreation disk because the planet is still forming I wonder?

In any case, that is cool!

Close. We could be witnessing moons forming. The planet is probably done accreting.

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

That is just incredible! We're definitely in for some exciting times if this is the kind of variable we can expect to see in these newly discovered planets.

My first impression is that of: "What great destruction to cause that much debris around a single planet!"

S&F on this one for sure!

originally posted by: Aqualung2012
a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

That is just incredible! We're definitely in for some exciting times if this is the kind of variable we can expect to see in these newly discovered planets.

Exoplanets are incredibly diverse. That's why they are so interesting There are plenty with characteristics like nothing in our solar system and others which are much more familiar.

My first impression is that of: "What great destruction to cause that much debris around a single planet!"

S&F on this one for sure!

Not destruction, the nature of planetary evolution.

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

Looks spectacular sight!

Nothing much else to add... just thought i'd post as the Thread was up top in the 'new' threads list and I think others who sign in later should be able to see this.

originally posted by: JadeStar
Not destruction, the nature of planetary evolution.

Well, it is in fact destruction, because rings form from moons or planetesimals that get ripped apart by tidal forces because they get into the planet's Roche limit.

Inside the Roche limit, orbiting material disperses and forms rings whereas outside the limit material tends to coalesce.

originally posted by: wildespace

originally posted by: JadeStar
Not destruction, the nature of planetary evolution.

Well, it is in fact destruction, because rings form from moons or planetesimals that get ripped apart by tidal forces because they get into the planet's Roche limit.

Inside the Roche limit, orbiting material disperses and forms rings whereas outside the limit material tends to coalesce.

True.

The creatorr must really like these heavenly bodies cause,

The article says if Saturn had those rings, they would be clearly visible at night, many times brighter than the full moon.

Is anyone else feeling like we got jipped on our view from earth?

originally posted by: CitizenJack
Wow that must be a lovely sight to see. Maybe one day we can sight see the cosmos (my dream vacation).

I was thinking that planet must be super dense to have that much debris locked in by gravity. But it seems this is mostly ice and dusty material.

Ah the sunset there must be lovely

well I hate to break up your fantasy, but there would be no sunset there

J1407 looks overloaded with rings relative to what Saturn has. Maybe there is a happy medium out there.

a reply to: Asynchrony
That would be the goldilocks zone.
This planet has too many rings!
This planet doesn't have enough!
This planet is jussssttttt riggghhht.

a reply to: Phage
Phage, do you like Bill Nye?