# Is it theoretically possible for a star to have rings? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 20, 2010, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105 "2010-05-20T05:39:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105/1 "2010-05-20T05:39:57Z")
OK, I’m aware we’ve likely never observed a star wearing rings, but that only says we’ve only seen a small fraction of the _observable_ Universe, let alone the whole thing. And, try as I may, I can’t really come up with a good reason why a star can’t have rings. They don’t have to be pretty to be rings. (I’m guessing the inner, rockier ones would be rather dull.) ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105/2 "2010-05-20T06:00:41Z")
I think the problem would be seeing the rings? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105/3 "2010-05-20T06:01:53Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > I think the problem would be seeing the rings? That’s not relevant to my question in any way. ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105/4 "2010-05-20T06:10:27Z")
Do the asteroid belt and the Kuiper belt not count as the rockier sort of rings you’re asking about? Granted, they’re pretty sparse, but they do they not serve to demonstrate that a star can have rings? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105/5 "2010-05-20T06:22:25Z")
The first problem you’re going to have is that for stable rings to form the particles need to be big enough to shrug off stellar winds and light pressure. But if they are that big, chances are good that they’ll be large enough to begin accumulating mass and forming planetesimals. Being farther out would help but then you run into possible disturbances from other orbiting bodies. My gut feel (and I know this is GQ) is that close solar rings aren’t really possible due to the dynamic environment the particles could find themselves in. I guess a cool M class star, or brown dwarf might be quiet enough to work. But rings may not be long lived compared to a star’s life. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105/6 "2010-05-20T06:49:18Z")
AFAIK, no ring system is stable over a long time. its thought that Saturn’s rings might only be a couple 100 million years old, they they may coalesce into new moons over time. cite: > **[Saturn Facts | Surface, Atmosphere, Moons, History & Definition](https://nineplanets.org/saturn/)** > > Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun, with the largest planetary rings in the Solar System. Click for even more facts and information on Saturn. similarly all stars which form planets are thought to start as protoplanetary discs. That looks a lot like rings to me. [![](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Artist%E2%80%99s_Impression_of_a_Baby_Star_Still_Surrounded_by_a_Protoplanetary_Disc.jpg) ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Artist%E2%80%99s_Impression_of_a_Baby_Star_Still_Surrounded_by_a_Protoplanetary_Disc.jpg) > **[Protoplanetary disk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protoplanetary_disk)** > > A protoplanetary disk is a rotating circumstellar disc of dense gas and dust surrounding a young newly formed star, a T Tauri star, or Herbig Ae/Be star. The protoplanetary disk may also be considered an accretion disk for the star itself, because gases or other material may be falling from the inner edge of the disk onto the surface of the star. This process should not be confused with the accretion process thought to build up the planets themselves. Externally illuminated photo-evaporating pro... ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105/7 "2010-05-20T07:05:08Z")
Right. OK, I didn’t know rings were that unstable, so I guess that answers my question. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105/8 "2010-05-20T09:34:41Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > AFAIK, no ring system is stable over a long time. It’s possible that [Saturn’s rings](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rings_of_Saturn#Formation) date to it’s formation. In theory, ring systems can be stable for very long periods of time. > [@](#): > > The brightness and purity of the water ice in Saturn’s rings has been cited as evidence that the rings are much younger than Saturn, perhaps just 100 million years old, as the infall of meteoric dust would have led to darkening of the rings. However, new research indicates that the B Ring may be massive enough to have diluted infalling material and thus avoided substantial darkening over the age of the Solar system. Ring material may be recycled as clumps form within the rings and are then disrupted by impacts. This would explain the apparent youth of some of the material within the rings. Here is an image of a [ring](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debris_disk) around a star. Our own star is surrounded by a kind of ring the [Zodiacal cloud](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiacal_dust). (While it’s called a cloud, I think I’m right in saying there is more dust in the plane of the ecliptic). So it is possible for a star to be surrounded by a (very tenuous) ring system. I don’t think it would be possible for a star to have a spectacular ring system like Saturn. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105/9 "2010-05-20T13:23:32Z")
I think stars often have rings. Especially, at some point in their evolution, they would have lots of material in rings. This is the stuff planets condense out of. I’d guess if we could see star rings clearly we would see lots of examples, even if the pretty phase is brief (there being many stars to choose from). ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105/10 "2010-05-20T14:11:44Z")
Why wouldn’t a solar system and/or asteroid belt be considered the rings of a sun? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105/11 "2010-05-20T14:34:04Z")
Because a ring implies at least some sort of integrity to the shape. N chucks of rock whipping round a star in discreet distances doesn’t really work. A “zodiacal” cloud is maybe the best analog but even then I’m not sure how visible it would be to an observer outside of the system in question. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105/12 "2010-05-20T14:39:18Z")
And if we’re going to define rings around a star as being similar to rings around a planet like Saturn, then shouldn’t the rings form for the same reason—i.e., they’re too close to the object to form into a proper single satellite (due to tidal forces). The ringed planets don’t have moons orbiting nearer than the innermost ring. So I don’t believe that the asteroid/Kuiper belts qualify on those grounds. They’d have to be within the orbit of Mercury. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105/13 "2010-05-20T16:13:30Z")
Would an [Accretion Disk](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accretion_disc) around a neutron star or black hole count? Certainly sounds like it’d be spectacular to see (from a distance…) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105/14 "2010-05-20T17:30:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Our own star is surrounded by a kind of ring the Zodiacal cloud. (While it’s called a cloud, I think I’m right in saying there is more dust in the plane of the ecliptic). Correct; that’s what makes it zodiacal. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-theoretically-possible-for-a-star-to-have-rings/540105/15 "2010-05-20T18:02:47Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > That’s not relevant to my question in any way. Wow. Harsh reply!