Scientists may have made a profound discovery just on the edge of the solar system.
Quaoar, a dwarf planet with a ring, has some astronomers scratching their heads as it seems to defy long standing rules of planetary science: its rings extend out more than twice as far as previously thought allowable.
"It was unexpected to discover this new ring system in our solar system, and it was doubly unexpected to find the rings so far out from Quaoar, challenging our previous notions of how such rings form," said Professor Vik Dhillon, a co-author of the study from the University of Sheffield's Department of Physics and Astronomy.
The planet is considered a dwarf because it has enough mass to form a sphere but it has not "cleared the neighborhood around its orbit," according to NASA.
Astronomers first noticed Quaoar by chance after it passed in front of a star during its trek around the sun. Located just 620 million miles away from Pluto, it completes a revolution around the sun every 288 years. The size of the dwarf planet as measured via the Hubble Space Telescope found it to be 690 miles in diameter — much smaller than Earth's 7,926 miles.
Five-time Olympic gold medal swimmer Missy Franklin was at the top of her sport when a shoulder injury forced her to retire. After that, her father was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease that forced her family to come together to support him. Now Franklin is working with Otsuka Pharmaceutical to raise awareness of genetic diseases and ADPKD, the disease that affected her father.
Federal health officials are expanding an investigation into potentially lead-tainted pouches of apple cinnamon fruit puree marketed for children amid reports of more illnesses and additional product recalls.
Kamili Bell Hill, author of "Happy Plants, Happy You: A Plant-Care & Self-Care Guide for the Modern Houseplant Parent," explains what you can do to make your houseplants thrive.
Marci Hopkins, recovery expert and author of "Chaos to Clarity: Seeing The Signs and Breaking The Cycles," talks about her own intergenerational experience with addiction that drove her to make changes and help others.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it will expand its infectious disease surveillance programs at major airports around the country.
