Saturn scientists Lord of the rings

[Sanidia Vortez]

British scientists working on the Cassini space probs say they have made a series of new discoveries about Saturn's ring.

The scientists, funded by the Particle Physics and Astronomy Reserch Council, based at North star, in swindon, have found many new structures in Saturn's diffuse rings.

These include clumps and several knots in other rings - some of which may be small moons - and a completely unexpected spiral ring around the planet.

Dr Matt Hedman, who is on the project's imagining team, said : " i think our Cassini images are providing new information about the dynamics and lifetimes of the ring particles in a new regime, very close to the planet. "

Cassini scientists have found a discontinuous bright ring segment, or arc, in one of the rings, which may have been created or maintained by a nearby by a nearby hidden moon.

Another thought is that they formed as a result of a metroid impact.

Scientists are also continuing to spot small, clump-size like features that may be loosely bound clumps of material or tiny moonlets.

The discoveries were made over the summer as Cassini was in prime ring-viewing period.

And the spacecraft's orbit was raised to look down on the rings.

The discoverie began almost immeadiately.

Cassini was launched in October 1997 and entered he orbit of Saturn in June 2004.

There it made series of discoveries before sending the Huygens probe to Saturn's moon Titan.

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[indeed]

Damm interesting as i've always loved space, cant wait for the years to come with an advace in technology to see the images brought back

[fallingalien]

I think I saw saturn once, in a telescope

[SurfX805]

I think I saw saturn once, in a telescope

833907[/snapback]

Actually, there is a moon circling Saturn that NASA has found to be so called "habitable". It's surface is made of ice. Goto google and type Saturns new moons. Everything will be there for your enjoyment...

[Great Big Sea]

Saturn's my fav planet.