Cassini detects evidence for rings around Saturn moon
Posted: Fri, Mar 7, 2008, 6:09 AM ET (1109 GMT)
A moon of the planet Saturn may have a faint ring around it, possibly composed of the remnants of a collision with a comet or asteroid, scientists announced Thursday. In a paper published in the current issue of Science, researchers reported the discovery of a broad debris disk and at least one ring around Rhea, a moon about 1,500 kilometers in diameter. The disk and ring were not imaged directly, but instead detected by monitoring drops in electron flux by two instruments on the spacecraft as it flew past the moon in November 2005. The sudden, brief drops in electrons matched up on both sides of Rhea, leading scientists to conclude that one or more rings exist within the debris disk. The most likely origin for the rings is a comet or asteroid collision with Rhea that threw up a cloud of gas and dust that went into orbit around the moon; the gas quickly dissipated but the debris remained.
A moon of the planet Saturn may have a faint ring around it, possibly composed of the remnants of a collision with a comet or asteroid, scientists announced Thursday. In a paper published in the current issue of Science, researchers reported the discovery of a broad debris disk and at least one ring around Rhea, a moon about 1,500 kilometers in diameter. The disk and ring were not imaged directly, but instead detected by monitoring drops in electron flux by two instruments on the spacecraft as it flew past the moon in November 2005. The sudden, brief drops in electrons matched up on both sides of Rhea, leading scientists to conclude that one or more rings exist within the debris disk. The most likely origin for the rings is a comet or asteroid collision with Rhea that threw up a cloud of gas and dust that went into orbit around the moon; the gas quickly dissipated but the debris remained.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Apex becomes billion-dollar company with $200 million Series D round
Posted: Sun, Sep 14 4:09 AM ET (0809 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, September 18
Russia developing Starlink rival at 'rapid pace,' space chief says
Reuters — 1:56 am ET (0556 GMT) Rocket Lab Looks To Raise $750M In Share Sale
Aviation Week — 1:53 am ET (0553 GMT) Blue Origin hires Christopher Fuller as marketing and comms head
PRWeek — 1:52 am ET (0552 GMT) Weather Causes SpaceX Team to Scrub Wednesday’s Liftoff Attempt From VSFB
Noozhawk — 1:50 am ET (0550 GMT) Update: SpaceX Launch from Vandenberg Rescheduled Due to Weather
Santa Barbara (CA) Edhat — 1:50 am ET (0550 GMT) |
