Misaligned rings around minor planets with moons
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
2026-04-02 v1 Space Physics
Abstract
Recent observations have confirmed the existence of rings around minor bodies in the outer Solar System. These objects may possess satellites as well. Here we analytically investigate the interaction between such rings and satellites. We show that the perturbations from the moons may efficiently lead to off-equatorial rings around minor bodies like trans-neptunian objects or centaurs. In particular, we derive criteria for the orbital elements under which such misaligned rings may exist. These considerations will be easily testable with the upcoming deep sky surveys.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2604.00604,
title = {Misaligned rings around minor planets with moons},
author = {Barnabás Deme},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.00604},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
10 pages, 3 figures