Chariklu

Chariklu is a small Solar System body, specifically a centaur. Centaurs are icy planetesimals that orbit the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune, exhibiting characteristics of both asteroids and comets.

Chariklu is notable for being the first centaur discovered to possess a ring system. These rings were detected in 2013, making Chariklu the smallest object known to have rings, and the fifth body in the Solar System to possess them, after Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and the asteroid 10199 Chariklo. The discovery of rings around Chariklu significantly changed our understanding of ring systems and their prevalence in the Solar System.

The rings are believed to be composed of water ice and dark material. They are thought to be relatively narrow and dense. The mechanism behind the formation and stability of these rings is still under investigation, but theories include debris from a past collision or the presence of small shepherd moons that confine the ring particles.

Chariklu's surface is believed to be relatively dark, and its composition is thought to be primarily ice and rock. Its estimated diameter is approximately 250 kilometers.

Chariklu orbits the Sun with a semi-major axis of approximately 13 astronomical units (AU). Its orbit is somewhat unstable due to gravitational interactions with the giant planets, suggesting that Chariklu's orbit will eventually evolve and change.