Nov
15

From Earth to the Solar System: Saturn’s Rings

SATURN’S GLAMOROUS RINGS: Despite their imposing appearance, the rings around Saturn are only about 10m (30 feet) thick! The rings consist of billions of individual particles of mostly water ice which create waves, wakes, and other structures. Two tiny moons orbit within gaps in the rings, keeping the gaps open. Scientists still aren’t sure exactly how old the rings are, but it’s clear that the rings we observe today were not all created in exactly the same way. NASA’s Cassini mission discovered that a great plume of icy material emanating from Saturn’s moon Enceladus is a major source of material for the expansive E ring. Cassini has also discovered new ringlets, a moon that’s stealing particles from the narrow F ring, and features within the rings resembling straw and rope. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

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Posted: 15 November 2011
About the Author:

Alex di Giovanni is primarily responsible for "other duties as assigned" in the Office of Communications and External Affairs. She has been with the Smithsonian since 2006 and plans to be interred in the Smithson crypt.