Plain English Explanation of Ring Formation?

I've searched in vain for this haven't had any luck.

Could someone explain how rings form around planets, in simple
English that an average 8 year-old would understand?

Any web links or other sources appreciated.

Rick

"Rick" wrote in alt.astronomy:

I've searched in vain for this haven't had any luck.

Could someone explain how rings form around planets, in simple
English that an average 8 year-old would understand?

Any web links or other sources appreciated.


- Rings around a planet can form because the planets gravity collects
leftover particles in a solar system after its formation, forming a
ring. A bit like our planets all spin around the Sun in a flat plane,
with the Sun as the planet and the planets as those leftovers.

- Of course rings can also form around planets because a moon is smashed
into pieces by another incoming big object. E.g. in the early solar
system that happened frequently, and it was no place for someone without
a hardhat. After some time that debri was sucked in by the (big) planets
and it became a more friendly place to fly around.

- Rings around a planet can also form because a moon or another object
circling around a planet comes too close to that planet. At a certain
distance (the Roche Limit) the tidal forces of the planet (the
gravitational forces pulling on the body) pull so hard at the moon or
body that it breaks apart, in time forming the ring rubble.
Explain him how the tides on Earth work, how the moon pulls the sea
water twoards it ("up") to make it high tide. The same happens the
reverse way. The Earth's gravity wants to pull the Moon closer, but the
moon doesn't give in, so it's torn out of shape. The closer the moon
would come, the bigger the pull, and eventually it will break up.
Illustrate that with a rubber band (although elastic forces are no
gravitational forces, but it's the idea that counts). Give him one side
and you take the other side, and you both start pulling. Eventually with
growing pull strength the rubber band will snap - if none of you
chickens out

Remember that the Roche limit is being calculated for liquid bodies. In
fact moons can come into the roche limit quite some distance before
disintegrating because they're solid bodies.

And there's a lot more dynamics to it. A part of Saturn's ring exists
well withing the roche limits,

--
CeeBee


Uxbridge: "By God, sir, I've lost my leg!"
Wellington: "By God, sir, so you have!"


Google CeeBee @ www.geocities.com/ceebee_2

"Rick" wrote in alt.astronomy:

I've searched in vain for this haven't had any luck.

Could someone explain how rings form around planets, in simple
English that an average 8 year-old would understand?

Any web links or other sources appreciated.


- Rings around a planet can form because the planets gravity collects
leftover particles in a solar system after its formation, forming a
ring. A bit like our planets all spin around the Sun in a flat plane,
with the Sun as the planet and the planets as those leftovers.

- Of course rings can also form around planets because a moon is smashed
into pieces by another incoming big object. E.g. in the early solar
system that happened frequently, and it was no place for someone without
a hardhat. After some time that debri was sucked in by the (big) planets
and it became a more friendly place to fly around.

- Rings around a planet can also form because a moon or another object
circling around a planet comes too close to that planet. At a certain
distance (the Roche Limit) the tidal forces of the planet (the
gravitational forces pulling on the body) pull so hard at the moon or
body that it breaks apart, in time forming the ring rubble.
Explain him how the tides on Earth work, how the moon pulls the sea
water twoards it ("up") to make it high tide. The same happens the
reverse way. The Earth's gravity wants to pull the Moon closer, but the
moon doesn't give in, so it's torn out of shape. The closer the moon
would come, the bigger the pull, and eventually it will break up.
Illustrate that with a rubber band (although elastic forces are no
gravitational forces, but it's the idea that counts). Give him one side
and you take the other side, and you both start pulling. Eventually with
growing pull strength the rubber band will snap - if none of you
chickens out

Remember that the Roche limit is being calculated for liquid bodies. In
fact moons can come into the roche limit quite some distance before
disintegrating because they're solid bodies.

And there's a lot more dynamics to it. A part of Saturn's ring exists
well withing the roche limits,

--
CeeBee


Uxbridge: "By God, sir, I've lost my leg!"
Wellington: "By God, sir, so you have!"


Google CeeBee @ www.geocities.com/ceebee_2

Rick wrote:

I've searched in vain for this haven't had any luck.

Could someone explain how rings form around planets, in simple
English that an average 8 year-old would understand?

A simple explanation:

When asteroids, comets, moons, ect. get too close to a planet, it gets
torn apart by the planet's gravity. This area where nothing (held
together by gravity) can remain intact is the "Roche Lobe", the great
coffee grinder of the universe. Only the smallest fragments remain
intact. Some of the debris is pulled into the planet, some stays in
orbit and form rings. A simple illustration would be to grind a radish
in a food processor. The radish would be an asteroid, the sides of the
processor the Roche limit, the blades the effect of a planet's gravity.

Here's some links that will help you explain further:

http://tinyurl.com/oq24

--
·.·´¨ ¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
Kent
((¸¸.·´ ..·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸ ..,
·.·

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Rick wrote:

I've searched in vain for this haven't had any luck.

Could someone explain how rings form around planets, in simple
English that an average 8 year-old would understand?

A simple explanation:

When asteroids, comets, moons, ect. get too close to a planet, it gets
torn apart by the planet's gravity. This area where nothing (held
together by gravity) can remain intact is the "Roche Lobe", the great
coffee grinder of the universe. Only the smallest fragments remain
intact. Some of the debris is pulled into the planet, some stays in
orbit and form rings. A simple illustration would be to grind a radish
in a food processor. The radish would be an asteroid, the sides of the
processor the Roche limit, the blades the effect of a planet's gravity.

Here's some links that will help you explain further:

http://tinyurl.com/oq24

--
·.·´¨ ¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
Kent
((¸¸.·´ ..·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸ ..,
·.·

Remove "RemoveThisToReply" from address to reply