One of the most breathtaking things to see with your own eyes, through a telescope, are the rings of Saturn. These beautiful rings looked like lobs or ears to ancient astronomers. Today we know that they are massive rings of orbiting dust, ice, debris, and moons.
How did these rings form?
There are three competing theories for the formation of Saturn’s rings. The leading idea in present times is that small moons or moonlets which were orbiting close to the planet crashed into one another until they formed bigger and bigger moons, which in turn coalesced into today’s ring system.
Another theory claims that material fell from space onto one of Saturn’s moons.
A last theory suggests that the rings are debris from a shattered world which was disrupted by another sizable body in its vicinity.
These three theories of course can each be connected to one of Saturn’s Moons . The leading idea about the origin of the rings is connected to Enceladus, because it has an icy surface that has been geologically active. Enceladus is now one of Saturn’s moons, but it could have started as a moonlet orbiting close to the planet which crashed into other moonlets until they merged into what we call today “the main rings”. The second theory can be connected to Iapetus , because the leading side is much darker than the trailing side. As a result, a dark body is orbiting close to Iapetus and could have been pulling material from it onto its leading side, creating darker material which is then left away from the moon in form of rings around Saturn. A third theory can be connected with Mimas because this moon has an enormous crater. The impact was so large that it would have disrupted the entire body, therefore shattering it into a ring around Saturn. If this happened, though, the rings should now be closer to Saturn than they are now because of gravity.
How big are the rings of Saturn?
The rings of Saturn are estimated to be between 10 and 100 meters thick.
Why do the rings have gaps?
A gap can form when a moon passes through its area. That moon has enough gravity to gather particles around itself, forming a ring which orbits close to it as long as it is there. Then this moon moves on and the ring remains behind. The ring system of Saturn is so large that the gravitational pull of another planet or moon could stir it up, making its particles move around and creating space between rings.
How long has Saturn had rings?
We don’t know exactly how long they have existed because that’s also a topic of debate.
The leading theory for the age of Saturn’s rings is that they formed as soon as the planet itself did. While the other theories mentioned above each would place the rings at a different age.
