The Farthest Ring of Saturn... Prepare To Be Amazed.

originally posted by: SheopleNation

originally posted by: JadeStar

Here's your reason for rings around planets.

Yeah I know, I have read it all before JS, and you know that I respect you a lot, but there is no concrete proof that without a doubt that is the case, Saturn is much too far away to know for sure, so it's all still just speculation for now.

It's not speculation it's very well established science. By the way ever giant planet in the Solar System has rings for that reason. It's not just Saturn. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all do.

We've sent probes to all these planets so distance is irrelevant. In fact we've got another one due to enter Jupiter's orbit (the Juno Mission) next summer and Cassini keeps doing its thing at Saturn.

There are real mysteries in the universe but ring formation isn't really one of them at this point.

By the way, one of Saturn's rings is due to one of its moons. We know know that the E-Ring is due to Enceladus's water ice geysers.

And to me choosing a "God of the Gaps" to explain real mysteries is a failure of both rationality and religion because what happened to the god Thor when we learned the true origin of lightning?

This is why both scientists AND theologians hate that line of thinking.


And by the way, we DO know the laws of physics are Universal in nature. That's what telescopes are for

originally posted by: SheopleNation
So let's not pretend that we humans, or even some of us, know everything about our own solar system because we probably only know about 10% at best about it and that is if we are lucky. ~$heopleNation

I suspect by us you actually mean you.

Have they been able to truly classify what that ring consists of? There has to be a real good reason for that material to be there.

originally posted by: charlyv
Have they been able to truly classify what that ring consists of? There has to be a real good reason for that material to be there.

Clearly it's the Saturnians' first line of defense against Nibiru.

a reply to: AdmireTheDistance

Yes, I left my self open for that one !

originally posted by: JadeStar
I suspect by us you actually mean you.

Well if you're going to be nasty about it, you're included in that assessment.

You think you know everything about our solar system? Well you don't. You may know a lot, but you don't know everything.

We don't even know if there is life on Mars yet. No reason to get all butt hurt over the truth. ~$heopleNation

originally posted by: SheopleNation
You think you know everything about our solar system?

No. But I do know a lot because you know, it's my field of study.

Well you don't. You may know a lot, but you don't know everything.

Of course. If I or anyone else knew everything there would be no need to study it

That said, there are these things called science journals and books. They're handy for recording the stuff we DO know about the solar system so when faced with an unknown it can be placed in the proper context.

Logic.

originally posted by: SheopleNation
Maybe Saturn is being terra formed by some kind of Universal God like idea or thought who put those rings there. Or maybe even some intelligent Alien species. The rings should have a reason for being there, one would think. Just saying.

~$heopleNation

Are you then saying God is physics? Or god makes physics? Or physics is God?

Whatever it's, it follows the rules of physics. But are physics any less interesting? Since physics and hte sciences are the foundations of our universe and every mystery and lifeform is their child, hell no!

Physics is not a simple sure thing. Even our own body is physics and chemistry. Yet our mysterious and unpredictable intelligence belies these facts, casting a shadow on our attempts to illuminate it. The summing up is far more than simple and sure. Our physics don't tell us where all of the asteroids are which is why we hunt for them, even though the "simple" physics rules their motions. What of orbital mechanics? Seems simple and certain? In order for us to calculate a trajectory for a spaceships travelling to another body of the solar system, we must perform many orbital computations. But even these aren't perfect in long periods of time. (The n-body problem and perturbations.) And we can't predict leap seconds. Something as mundane as the Fukushima earthquake will cumulatively impact when leap seconds occur. You'd have to predict all of it.

And because quantum weirdness says even seemingly impossible things can happen--however unlikely they're--then what can be certain?

I know God and aliens creating the rings registers more exciting than physics, but maybe it's because you don't fully appreciate physics? There's magic in the sciences. If there were not, WE wouldn't exist!!! And I argue it's not just ourselves, but the magic is all around. Some say it starts with us, but I don't agree. I think it's fundamentally everywhere.

a reply to: JadeStar

I know that it is your field of study, and I am well aware of all the vast info and theories that have been written down.

I see no reason to be condescending about it though. ~$heopleNation

a reply to: jonnywhite

Not the man made 2000 year old desert fairy tale God, but the unknown one, which I believe we humans cannot even fathom.

Course there may be nothing at all, but yes I agree with you that not everything is certain, the Universe is a very chaotic place. ~$heopleNation

originally posted by: charlyv
Have they been able to truly classify what that ring consists of?

No. But our best guesses are, it is probably materials (such as dust) from Saturn's Moon, Phoebe.

originally posted by: Saint Exupery
I wonder what the thickness is.

3 million miles.

a reply to: swanne

Yikes, that's big! I'm probably silly asking this, but how come doesn't affect the orbit of the planets? Are the planets even farther than one another that?

a reply to: Yavanna

The ring doesn't affect the orbit of other planets for the simple reason that the ring is not dense enough. It doesn't have enough mass. Like a cloud.

originally posted by: swanne
a reply to: Yavanna

The ring doesn't affect the orbit of other planets for the simple reason that the ring is not dense enough. It doesn't have enough mass. Like a cloud.

Even (imagining for a minute) if it did have considerably more mass, the ring has probably been there for so long that the orbits of the planets would be the orbits of the planets -- i.e., the orbits would have long settled into a balanced equilibrium, even if there was a massive ring of Saturn.

What I'm saying is that there would be no "affecting the orbits of the other plants" that would be able to be noticed. The orbits might be different than they are, but they would be what they would be, and still be in orbital equilibrium.

Just thought Zazz and a few others might be interested in a quick video about Earth and why is doesn't have rings.
Enjoy!

Uranus should definitely have a ring
if you catch my drift.

a reply to: Qumulys

Ta quick video about Earth and why is doesn't have rings.ext

John O'Keefe, ex-NASA dude, thinks the Earth used to have a ring or rings.

www.scienceagogo.com...

a reply to: GaryN

The possible past rings of Earth may have terraformed her. At this point, we simply do not know.

Though many shallow minded know it alls like to believe that they do, but they surely do not. ~$heopleNation

I'm wondering if this ring is composed of interplanetary dust that settled into a rind around Saturn due to Saturn's gravity. What if this dust migrates in and out of the ring as Saturn orbits that Sun?

Interesting!