Clumps found in Saturn's rings
Posted: Wed, May 23, 2007, 1:49 PM ET (1749 GMT)
Scientists working with data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have concluded that one of Saturn's major rings is composed of clumps of material rather than a more uniform distribution of smaller objects. Planetary scientists used a series of stellar occultations, where the rings passed in front of a star, to perform a "CAT scan" of the rings, analyzing the distribution of particles within them. They found that one ring, the B ring, contains tightly-packed clumps of material with wider spacings between the clumps than previously expected. The clumps are constantly forming and being town apart by Saturn's gravity, often colliding with one another. This clumpiness may mean that Saturn's rings have two to three times as massive as previously thought.
Scientists working with data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have concluded that one of Saturn's major rings is composed of clumps of material rather than a more uniform distribution of smaller objects. Planetary scientists used a series of stellar occultations, where the rings passed in front of a star, to perform a "CAT scan" of the rings, analyzing the distribution of particles within them. They found that one ring, the B ring, contains tightly-packed clumps of material with wider spacings between the clumps than previously expected. The clumps are constantly forming and being town apart by Saturn's gravity, often colliding with one another. This clumpiness may mean that Saturn's rings have two to three times as massive as previously thought.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Sunday, July 26
Arianespace to launch weather satellite MTG-I2 on Ariane 6's first mission to geostationary orbit on August 27, 2026
Arianespace — 8:26 am ET (1226 GMT) How stars die: Astronomers detect magnetic fingerprint of a cosmic explosion for the first time
Univ. of Arizona — 8:25 am ET (1225 GMT) Voyager Wins Contract with Sandia National Laboratories
Voyager Space — 8:24 am ET (1224 GMT) Emergency Injunction Sought to Protect Texas Wildlife Refuge From SpaceX
Center for Biological Diversity — 8:23 am ET (1223 GMT) QuantX Labs Announces Successful In-Orbit Commissioning of World's First Optical Frequency Comb
QuantX — 8:22 am ET (1222 GMT) |
