Scientists detect first known belt of moonlets in Saturn's rings

User rating: 4.2 / 5 after 12 vote(s)

A team led CU-Boulder has detected an unseen belt of moonlets in Saturns outermost A ring (top image outer purple band). The gravity of the largest moonlets creates propeller-shaped wakes in the ring material 10 to 20 miles across (boxed in bottom im ...
A team led CU-Boulder has detected an unseen belt of moonlets in Saturn’s outermost "A" ring (top image, outer purple band). The gravity of the largest moonlets creates propeller-shaped "wakes" in the ring material 10 to 20 miles across (boxed, in bottom image). Credit: NASA/ JPL/Space Science Institute/University of Colorado

A narrow belt harboring moonlets as large as football stadiums discovered in Saturn's outermost ring probably resulted when a larger moon was shattered by a wayward asteroid or comet eons ago, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder study.


Full story »
All News summaries from Space & Earth science news
All News summaries for October 24, 2007
Goto Archive PhysOrg Forum Goto Archive Video Goto Archive Editorials Goto Archive Free Magazines Goto Archive Newsletter

News Archive