Himalia Ring
The small moon S/2000 J 11, 4 kilometres in diameter, had gone missing since its discovery in 2000. One theory is that it has crashed into the much larger moon Himalia, 170 kilometres in diameter, creating a faint ring. This possible ring appears as a faint streak near Himalia in images from NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. This suggests that Jupiter sometimes gains and loses small moons through collisions. However, the recovery of S/2000 J 11 in 2010 and 2011 disproves the link between S/2000 J 11 and the Himalia ring, although it is still possible that a different moon may have been involved.
Read more about this topic: Rings Of Jupiter
Famous quotes containing the word ring:
“With this Ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow.”
—Book Of Common Prayer, The. Solemnization of Matrimony, “Wedding,” (1662)