Rings of gas and dust are known to encircle Saturn , Jupiter , Uranus , and Neptune . Scientists recently discovered a fifth member of this haloed group known as Chariklo , which is one of a class of minor 'centaur ' planets . Now astronomers have detected a possible ring system around a second centaur , Chiron , suggesting that ringed bodies may be more common in our solar system previously thought . Scientists have detected a possible Saturn-like ring system ( pictured ) around a minor , Chiron , suggesting that ringed bodies may be more common in our solar system previously thought . Like their mythological counterparts , centaurs are hybrids , embodying traits of both asteroids and comets . Today , scientists estimate there are more than 44,000 centaurs in the solar system , concentrated mainly in a band between the orbits of Jupiter and Pluto . Chiron , discovered in 1977 , was the first planetary body categorised as a centaur , after the mythological Greek creature -- a hybrid of man and beast . To discover the rings , the Massachusetts Institute of Technology observed the dimming of a star as Chiron passed in front of it , briefly blocking the light . By looking at how much and when the light was blocked , scientists say the centaur may possess a circulating disk of debris . 'It 's interesting , because Chiron is a centaur - part of that middle section of the solar system , between Jupiter and Pluto , where we originally were n't thinking things would be active , but it 's turning out things are quite active , ' says Amanda Bosh , a lecturer in MIT 's Department of Earth , Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences . It follows the discovery of rings around a giant asteroid called Chariklo last year . ' I try to imagine how it would be to stand on the surface of this icy object , small enough that a fast sports car could reach escape velocity and drive off into space , and stare up at a 20 kilometer wide ring system 1,000 times closer than the moon , ' said Uffe Gråe Jørgensen of the University of Copenhagen of the Chariklo study . Chiron , discovered in 1977 , was the first planetary body categorised as a centaur , after the mythological Greek creature -- a hybrid of man and beast . Like their mythological counterparts , centaurs are hybrids , embodying traits of both asteroids and comets . Today , scientists estimate there are more than 44,000 centaurs in the solar system , concentrated mainly in a band between the orbits of Jupiter and Pluto . While most centaurs are thought to be dormant , scientists have seen glimmers of activity from Chiron . Chiron was discovered in 1977 by Charles Kowal recovery images have been found as far back as 1895 , it was the first-known member of a class of objects now known as centaurs , with an orbit between Saturn and Uranus . Starting in the late 1980s , astronomers observed patterns of brightening from the centaur , as well as activity similar to that of a streaking comet . In 2010 , MIT started to chart the orbits of Chiron and nearby stars in order to pinpoint exactly when the centaur might pass across a star bright enough to detect . 'There 's an aspect of serendipity to these observations , ' Professor Bosh says . 'We need a certain amount of luck , waiting for Chiron to pass in front of a star that is bright enough . Chiron itself is small enough that the event is very short ; if you blink , you might miss it . ' In light of these new observations , the researchers say that Chiron may still possess symmetrical jets of gas and dust . But other interpretations may be equally valid , including the 'intriguing possibility , ' Professor Bosh says , of a shell or ring of gas and dust . Pictured are the positions of known outer solar system objects . The centaurs are those objects ( in green ) that lie generally inwards of the Kuiper belt ( in blue ) Ruprecht , who is a researcher at MIT 's Lincoln Laboratory , says it is possible to imagine a scenario in which centaurs may form rings . For example , when a body breaks up , the resulting debris can be captured gravitationally around another body , such as Chiron . Rings can also be leftover material from the formation of Chiron itself . Nevertheless , Bosh says the possibility of a second ringed centaur in the solar system is an enticing one . 'Until Chariklo 's rings were found , it was commonly believed that these smaller bodies do n't have ring systems , ' Bosh says . 'If Chiron has a ring system , it will show it 's more common than previously thought . '
Minor planet is known as Chiron and located between Discovery and Uranus . Saturn was made by studying dimming of star as it passed behind Chiron . Astronomers say ringed bodies may be more common than first thought . Researchers are still unsure how rings stay place on such a small 'planet '