|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
how old a saturns rings
I believe that I heard once that the rings of saturn are only about 50
millions years old ( so if dino's had telescopes they would not see any rings ) I cant remember where I read that ( web probably ) anyways, this has been bugging me. can anyone, confirm or blast this statement? ( if true, how did we figure this out? ) thanks Carl |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
how old a saturns rings
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/12feb_rings.htm
ah, I found the 'answer' here "carl" wrote in message .. . I believe that I heard once that the rings of saturn are only about 50 millions years old ( so if dino's had telescopes they would not see any rings ) I cant remember where I read that ( web probably ) anyways, this has been bugging me. can anyone, confirm or blast this statement? ( if true, how did we figure this out? ) thanks Carl |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
how old a saturns rings
Hi Carl One could have a theory that Saturns rings are older than the
solar system. Bert |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
how old a saturns rings
BenignVanilla wrote:
I guess some of the material could be extra-solar material having been caught by Saturn's gravity, but surely...the rings are no older then the solar system as they orbit an object in the solar system. They can't be older then the thing they orbit. In fact they're believed to be much younger than the planet; their bright appearance suggests they haven't been around long enough to get 'dirty'. --Odysseus |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
how old a saturns rings
In message , Odysseus
writes BenignVanilla wrote: I guess some of the material could be extra-solar material having been caught by Saturn's gravity, but surely...the rings are no older then the solar system as they orbit an object in the solar system. They can't be older then the thing they orbit. In fact they're believed to be much younger than the planet; their bright appearance suggests they haven't been around long enough to get 'dirty'. After a while you begin to wonder how we are so "lucky". We are around at just the right time to see Neptune's moon Triton, which is due to become another ring system in 10 to 100 million years. We are seeing Saturn's rings, and according to one theory they are only 3 million years old. We are seeing total eclipses of the Moon, which probably gave a huge boost to ancient astronomy and religion. Does anyone still think that Phobos is going to crash into Mars in the same sort of 100 million year frame, or has that idea been discounted? So are exciting things always happening in the solar system, or is the current era special? -- "Roads in space for rockets to travel....four-dimensional roads, curving with relativity" Mail to jsilverlight AT merseia.fsnet.co.uk is welcome. Or visit Jonathan's Space Site http://www.merseia.fsnet.co.uk |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
how old a saturns rings
The best theory how Saturn rings got there is A comet past to close. It
went into orbit. The reason this theory makes for good thinking is the material the rings are made of,and I don't see comets as a solid object. I see them as a clump of rocks,ice,ammonia,and solid CO2. However I don't think all comets are the same. Bert PS the tail is made of CO2 gas,and ammonia |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
how old a saturns rings
Bert posted:
The best theory how Saturn rings got there is A comet past to close. That is a lousy theory for a number of reasons. First, the ring material is in a nice circular orbit which is nearly impossible to achieve for the capture of a fast moving body like a comet. Second, the total mass of the rings is about 3.4 x 10^19 kilograms, which is many times the mass of even a large comet and is compariable to the mass of Saturn's moon Mimas or several other small Saturnian moons. The best theories are 1: that the rings formed from material which condensed close to Saturn but so close that the planet's tidal forces kept it from forming a single large body, or 2: that a small moon's orbit decayed just enough to let it pass inside Saturn's Roche limit, causing tidal forces to pull it apart. The characterisics of the material in the rings is similar to that of Saturn's inner moons (ice and rock. In addition several tiny moons orbit close to or just within the ring system (Pan orbits inside the Encke Division of the A-ring), and this supports the idea that the rings were formed from material which was already there. -- David W. Knisely Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/ ********************************************** * Attend the 10th Annual NEBRASKA STAR PARTY * * July 27-Aug. 1st, 2003, Merritt Reservoir * * http://www.NebraskaStarParty.org * ********************************************** |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
how old a saturn"s rings
David we don't know how long the rings have been there(yes?) and time
can make orbits more circular. This material can't be to large,or heavy,and that would make a more circular ring over time. We don't know how fast the comet was going??? It could have come in just the right angle,and relative motion,and that would help my theory. Do the rings rotate in the same direction relative to Saturn"s rotation. Since there are more than one ring that helps my theory. The big edge I have is the sizes and the material that makes up the rings structure Bert |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
how old a saturn"s rings
Bert posted:
time can make orbits more circular. No, "time" does not necessarily make orbits more circular. Look at Mercury. It has been there for probably 4 billion years or so, yet it has the second most eccentric orbit of all the planets in the solar system. To make an orbit circular requires an interaction with either some other body or the presence of atmospheric drag. The rings of Saturn are far above the atmosphere of Saturn, and all the other bodies near the rings are in nearly circular orbits (and are quite small). The two theories I mentioned are the best ones currently available. This material can't be to large,or heavy,and that would make a more circular ring over time. No, again, the size of the material does not necessarily make an orbit more circular. Some small asteroids are in wildy eccentric orbits and have been so for millions, if not billions of years. The ring material is thought to be mostly in the 1 centimeter to 5 meter size range with a few larger chunks mixed in (like Pan, which is around 20 kilometers across). We don't know how fast the comet was going??? Most comets pass the planets at speeds well in excess of the planet's escape velocity, therefore they either miss the planet with only a small change in their orbital shape, or they hit the planet. They don't usually go into orbit (and certainly not a nearly circular one which is in perfect alignment with the equator of Saturn). Again, the masses of comets are far less than the total mass of the ring system of Saturn, so comets are unlikely sources of ring material. Do the rings rotate in the same direction relative to Saturn"s rotation Yes, they do. In fact, the plane of the rings is nearly same as the plane of Saturn's equator, which makes it far more likely that they were formed from the material cloud which eventually formed Saturn and its moons. Since there are more than one ring that helps my theory. No, it does not. The apparent "gaps" in the rings are caused by perturbations from nearby moons or from the presence of small moons orbiting within the rings themselves. Examples include the Encke Division, which is due to the presence of the tiny moon Pan, and the Cassini Division, which is due mostly to the gravitational tugs and pulls of some of the more massive moons like Titan which removes some material from these regions due to an orbital "resonance" they have. However, even some of these gaps have material within them (the Cassini Division is full of fine debris). -- David W. Knisely Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/ ********************************************** * Attend the 10th Annual NEBRASKA STAR PARTY * * July 27-Aug. 1st, 2003, Merritt Reservoir * * http://www.NebraskaStarParty.org * ********************************************** |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Are rings of Saturn evidence of a young solar system/universe? | David Buckna | Amateur Astronomy | 24 | July 6th 04 08:30 PM |
Cassini Exposes Puzzles About Ingredients In Saturn's Rings | Ron | Astronomy Misc | 0 | July 3rd 04 01:47 AM |