Rings of Saturn

planetary phenomena

The rings of Saturn are the planetary rings around the planet Saturn, which can be seen with a small telescope. They consist of many small particles, ranging in size from microscopic to the size of a bus (or bigger) that form clumps that move around Saturn. The particles in the rings are made almost entirely of water ice,[1] with just a small amount of dust and other chemicals. There are some gaps in the rings. The moon Pan causes the gap called the "Encke gap" in Saturn's A ring.[2] The Cassini Division, discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini, is a gap between the A ring and the B ring. It is a product of orbital resonance.

The rings of Saturn

References change

  1. "The Rings of Saturn". Csep10.phys.utk.edu. 1995-11-21. Retrieved 2012-01-20.
  2. "Cassini Solstice Mission: Pan". Saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. 2004-07-01. Archived from the original on 2012-01-19. Retrieved 2012-01-20.