Imagine our solar system without Saturn and her spectacular rings; but unfortunately they won’t last forever. Studies conducted over the past three years show that Saturn’s iconic rings are rapidly disappearing into its core at an astonishingly rapid rate – enough water is being lost each half hour for this “ring rain” phenomenon to fill…
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has been studying Saturn’s rings and moons for 13 years, and recently released findings provide insight into their formation, evolution, and how they change over time. New research suggests the rings may be much younger than scientists previously assumed, based on an association between mass of rings and how quickly they become…
Astronomers have long observed Saturn’s rings falling into its atmosphere in what’s known as “ring rain”, providing new insight. Simulations by MIT’s Cassini mission, which flew right through them during its death dive into Saturn in 2017, may shed more light on the process. On March 23rd 2025, Saturn’s rings will temporarily vanish from view…
Saturn’s icy rings won’t disappear any time soon, even though they might become harder to see for some time due to an event known as “ring plane crossing”. Once every 13 to 16 years, Saturn’s ring plane passes close enough to Earth that their presence becomes difficult for us to discern from Earth’s perspective –…
Saturn’s rings have long been an object of fascination. Viewed straight on, their thin outlines can be seen. Earth passes through the plane of Saturn’s rings every 13 to 15 years and views them edge-on at one of Saturn’s equinoxes, providing us a rare view. It doesn’t signify an impending disaster for our planet, but…
Saturn’s rings have long held a special place in our imaginations, but our view may soon become restricted by atmospheric obstructions. NASA’s Cassini probe has unveiled surprising evidence indicating that Saturn’s rings may not have endured nearly as long as previously thought. The Age of the Rings Astronomers have long speculated on how Saturn’s rings…
Astronomers have long known that Saturn’s iconic rings are gradually dissolving, potentially within 100 million years. Recent research based on data collected by NASA’s Cassini probe indicates this trend is occurring even faster than predicted. What happens if Saturn loses its rings? What are the rings made of? Saturn’s rings are composed of rock, ice…
Saturn boasts seven rings, which consist of icy chunks encircling it. They’re named alphabetically from A to G and average only 30 feet or meters high on average. Saturn and its moons exert gravitational pull that creates patterns known as bending waves or spiral density waves in its rings, whereby bands move closer or further…
Saturn’s rings capture our imagination like few other natural phenomena can, yet its beauty could soon fade away faster than we anticipated. Cassini spacecraft, which orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017, recently released data suggesting its rings are losing tons of mass each second – suggesting they may disappear before our grandchildren even take to…
