The rings contain both rocky and icy material, so maybe it was a comet. If the comet that hit Jupiter had not hit it but gone into orbit around the planet, maybe it would have made rings like Saturn's.
What gases can be found on Saturn? Much of the atmosphere of Saturn is made of hydrogen and helium, but there is also water vapor, methane, ammonia, and nitrogen. Can we land on Saturn? Well, Saturn and the other giant gas planets is almost entirely made of gases — mostly hydrogen, helium, and methane. The atmosphere gets pretty thick, so it would probably seem more like an ocean than an atmosphere. You couldn't land and walk around, but you could either "fly" through the outer atmosphere with a spacecraft built like an airplane or "swim" through the deeper layers with a spacecraft built like a submarine.
Why is one part of Saturn hotter than the other? I'm not sure which part you mean. Just as on Earth, the north and south poles are colder than the equator. And the night side is colder than the day side. What is the distinction between satellites and moons? Normally moons and satellites mean the same thing. On Earth, though, if we counted the man-made satellites, we would have to say that we have many more than just one "moon!
Editor's note: As of , Saturn has 53 natural satellites, also known as moons, and nine provisional moons, or moons that need to be confirmed by the International Astronomical Union. Lesson plans, interactive activities, and other resources to help students learn about and explore our solar system. Create a List. List Name Save. Rename this List. Rename this list. List Name Delete from selected List.
Save to. Save to:. Save Create a List. Create a list. Dones said that the Dust Accelerator Laboratory at the University of Colorado, Boulder may be able to replicate this impact process and give us a better idea of the staying power of the pollutants. Enceladus is an icy world that hides a subsurface ocean of salty water. Cassini measured the rain using two separate instruments.
Crida said that perhaps the ice ejected by micrometeoroid impacts tends to reattach itself to the rings, while the ejected pollutants rain out. Becker conjectures that pollution is being preferentially ejected by impacts, regardless of whether the ice is reattaching itself in this manner.
But no one knows for sure. What if, said Crida, the pollution argument is correct? What if the rings have always been exposed to an unchanging influx of cosmic dust, and the rings are million years old at most? Then we would have to explain how the rings formed so recently, which is a tricky prospect. First, we have no idea what created the rings, so assigning them an origin story at any point in time is difficult.
But no such mission is forthcoming. The typical thickness of the rings is only about 10 meters. But their own stories are also riddled with uncertainties, from their origins to their ages.
A model , using the current positions of the moons to peer backward through time, suggests that the present system of rings and inner moons could have been created when a pair of midsize moons smashed into each other about million years ago. While the past is unclear, the future seems more certain.
The rings may look permanent, but the opposite is true. When scientists add this to the material detected by Cassini, they estimate that the rings will disappear completely in million years. Like many, he considers it fortunate that humanity and the rings coexist — giving us plenty of opportunity to argue about the secrets they hold.
This article was reprinted on Wired. Get highlights of the most important news delivered to your email inbox. Cassini flew over seas and lakes of methane. On Saturn itself, above the north pole. Cassini took photos of a hexagonal hurricane 32,km across. Scientists have puzzled over how this giant storm spins.
Cassini measured its winds at a staggering mph. Four times as strong as a hurricane on Earth! Back out on the edge of one of Saturn's rings. Cassini even captured the birth of a possible new moon. It's been named Peggy and is just 1km wide. Finally, running out of fuel,.
Cassini was flown directly towards the planet. Swipe to progress. Images: Nasa, Kongle Go back to start. Saturn probe Cassini is incinerated Meet the people who made Cassini happen In Pictures: Cassini probe's greatest shots. Image source, NASA. Artwork: Cassini plunged between the rings and the planet's cloudtops.
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