What's Keeping the Ring in Place?

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Bruno may have just spotted the ring as it was becoming a moon. It is possible but it's very unlikely because time span of this transformation from this to a moon it's a few years. Bruno has done some modelling which suggests that the ring could be maintained if the materials that make it up are a bit bouncier than they're normally expected to be. Alternatively there are maybe other external forces at play. Such things have been suggested before like with Saturn's F-ring, the outermost discrete ring right at the Roche limit.

0:46 The mysterious ring in the distant Solar System

Quaoar is a small, rocky object that lies beyond Neptune’s orbit. In an unexpected discovery, researchers have shown that this object has its own orbiting ring, similar to those seen encircling planets like Saturn. However, Quaoar’s ring shouldn’t exist, as it is at a distance far outside the theoretical limit at which rings are thought to be stable, and researchers are trying to figure out why.

Research article: Morgado et al.

News and Views: A planetary ring in a surprising place

07:01 Research Highlights

A repurposed skin-disease drug suppresses alcohol consumption in people with alcohol-use disorder, and how volcanic eruptions may have contributed to social unrest in ancient Egypt.

Research Highlight: Pill for a skin disease also curbs excessive drinking

Research Highlight: Volcanic quartet linked to bad times in ancient Egypt

09:26 Air pollution

Exposure to polluted air has been linked to millions of deaths each year. But while much is known about the sources and impacts of outdoor air pollution, significantly less is understood about the pollution that people are exposed to indoors, despite it causing a significant health burden. In a Comment article for Nature, a group of researchers argue for more research in order to inform future public health initiatives.

Comment: Hidden harms of indoor air pollution — five steps to expose them