NASA telescope discovers giant ring around Saturn

[n2doc]

(10-06) 20:28 PDT Pasadena, Calif. (AP) --

The Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered the biggest but never-before-seen ring around the planet Saturn, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced late Tuesday.

The thin array of ice and dust particles lies at the far reaches of the Saturnian system and its orbit is tilted 27 degrees from the planet's main ring plane, the laboratory said.

JPL spokeswoman Whitney Clavin said the ring is very diffuse and doesn't reflect much visible light but the infrared Spitzer telescope was able to detect it.

Although the ring dust is very cold — minus 316 degrees Fahrenheit — it shines with thermal radiation.

No one had looked at its location with an infrared instrument until now, Clavin said.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/06/national/a182242D76.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0TEQn4X6d

[cherokeeprogressive]

1. The question still remains though, and I've never seen it answered to my satisfaction...

Are there rings around Yer Anus?

[Lochloosa]

2. Yes

I have pics. Want to see? :evilgrin:

[zbdent]

4. I thought those were Cling-Ons ...

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Iapetus: "like bugs on a windshield"

This is mentioned in the article, and illustrated in the BBC article on this:



Also worthwhile - a slide show with commentary on Saturn and its moons from a few months ago: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8113627.stm