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Yes: measurements from a 2022 JWST observation show that the near-infrared occultation signatures of Chariklo’s two rings changed in opposite directions compared with an earlier observation. The inner ring, C1R, was more opaque; the outer ring, C2R, produced a weaker signature. JWST did not photograph ring particles changing, and the observations do not establish why the measured properties differ.
What did JWST find about Chariklo’s rings?
A study published in Science Advances on 9 September 2026 reports a change in the measured properties of Chariklo’s rings. In the comparison with 2017, the inner ring C1R had higher opacity, while the outer ring C2R had a weaker near-infrared occultation signature. The Observatoire de Paris – PSL summarizes the changes as about 50% more opacity for C1R and about 60% less for C2R; those rounded percentages describe the reported opacity comparison, not a change in either ring’s mass. (Study record; Observatoire de Paris – PSL)
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The result is evidence that the rings’ measured properties are not simply unchanged. It does not show particles visibly moving, nor does it establish that the rings’ positions shifted. The reported comparison concerns how strongly each ring affected the measured starlight.
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A stellar occultation is an indirect measurement. Astronomers predict when a small body will pass in front of a known background star, then record the star’s brightness as the body or its rings cross the line of sight. A ring crossing can cause a brief dip in the star’s light. The resulting light curve reveals structure that cannot be resolved as a close-up image.
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On 18 October 2022, JWST’s NIRCam observed the background star Gaia DR3 6873519665992128512 as Chariklo’s rings crossed in front of it. From JWST’s viewpoint, Chariklo’s body itself missed the star, but its rings blocked some of the starlight. The telescope measured the occultation; it did not photograph the rings’ material changing. (NASA Science / Webb Mission Team; Observatoire de Paris – PSL, Laboratoire Temps Espace)
How do the two rings compare?
| Ring | Discovery-paper context | Reported comparison with 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| C1R, the inner ring | Orbital radius 391 km; width about 7 km; optical depth 0.4, as reported in the 2014 discovery paper. | About 50% more opaque, according to the Observatoire de Paris – PSL’s 2026 summary. |
| C2R, the outer ring | Orbital radius 405 km; width about 3 km; optical depth 0.06, as reported in the 2014 discovery paper. | About 60% less opaque, according to the Observatoire de Paris – PSL’s 2026 summary; its near-infrared occultation signature was much weaker. |
The discovery values are the original measurements, not new 2022 measurements. The later percentages are rounded figures from the institution’s account, and should not be read as direct measurements of ring mass. (Nature discovery paper; Observatoire de Paris – PSL)
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What are Chariklo and its rings?
Chariklo is a Centaur, a small body orbiting in the outer Solar System. A stellar occultation revealed its two dense rings in 2013. The rings orbit close to the body—at radii of 391 and 405 km from its center in the original measurements—and are only a few kilometres wide. Chariklo itself has a radius of about 125 km, according to the Observatoire de Paris – PSL. (Nature discovery paper; Observatoire de Paris – PSL)
The discovery paper inferred that the rings may be partly made of water ice and proposed that they could be remnants of a debris disk, perhaps confined by embedded kilometre-sized satellites. Those are interpretations, not settled facts about the rings’ composition or origin. (Nature discovery paper)
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Why might the measured ring signatures have changed?
The cause is unresolved. The 2026 study discusses possible replenishment or dynamical restructuring of C1R and material loss from C2R. A separate possibility is that wavelength-dependent opacity affects how the rings appear in near-infrared observations. The evidence does not determine which explanation is correct, and it does not rule out a combination of effects. (Study record; Observatoire de Paris – PSL)
That wavelength caveat matters because the new comparison uses near-infrared measurements. A difference in an infrared signature does not, by itself, show that the total amount of ring material changed by the same proportion. The Observatoire de Paris – PSL notes that the observed portions alone do not appear to explain the contrast and points to future occultations, especially in visible light, as a way to help distinguish temporal evolution from wavelength effects. (Observatoire de Paris – PSL)
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What would clarify whether the rings are evolving?
Further stellar occultations can test whether the contrast persists and whether the result depends on observing wavelength. Visible-light observations would be particularly useful alongside near-infrared measurements: if the change appears consistently across wavelengths, that would support genuine temporal evolution in ring properties; if it differs by wavelength, wavelength-dependent opacity may be important. Until such observations provide a clearer picture, the strongest conclusion is that the measured ring signatures have changed—not that astronomers know the physical cause.
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