The Ringed Planet

Astronomers have been looking up into the sky for ages. Ancients could see what appeared to be five distinct planets revolving around our very own Earth. One of the more recent astronomers, Galileo, had his curiosity spiked in a planet that had three celestial bodies connected together, the middle being the largest.  Could nature really allow such a monstrosity to take part in the great sky above? Even with telescopes, the planet seemed so small and very distant.

Years later, we know the planets revolve around the sun, and the three headed beast in the sky is really Saturn surrounded by its rings. And yet besides this, there is still so little we know about Saturn and its rings. Saturn's rings are actually made of a multitude of particles that range in size that revolve around Saturn due to its gravitational pull. However, these particles that make up the rings can stretch out up to hundreds and thousands of kilometers! What makes Saturn so interesting is that the rings are made out of ice and some types of rock. Since we know water is the beginning of life, it is no surprise that scientists are very intrigued about life on Saturn and its surrounding moons.

From the pictures you see of Saturn, you might think Saturn only has a couple of very large rings. Wrong! Saturn has thousands of tiny ringlets. Who would've known! But besides this, Saturn's rings have gaps in them. Some of Saturn's moons like Mimas have a large enough mass to affect some of the particles by its gravity. The gravity of the moons yank the particles out of the rings. And all of this is only the beginning of Saturn. The actual planet Saturn has many secrets that just need to be explored!