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   sci.space.science      Space and planetary science and related      1,217 messages   

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   Message 648 of 1,217   
   Roger Stokes to David Harper   
   Re: Rings on Saturn??   
   22 Jul 04 01:01:48   
   
   From: rstokes1@san.rr.com   
      
   "David Harper"  wrote in message   
   news:364fd697.0407201012.739069ee@posting.google.com...   
   > "Jo & MickD"  wrote in message   
   news:...   
   > > Why do the rings on Saturn look so perfect ie have perfect looking gaps   
   > > around them.   
   > > How does this actually happen or work?????????   
   >   
   > Gravitational resonance with Saturn's other moons is one of the   
   > primary factors.  So something breaks up in Saturn's orbit.  For   
   > millions of years you have just a nebulous debris ring.  Over time,   
   > debris is tugged on by Saturn's moons, which orbit it in regular   
   > intervals.  Over time, the debris particles reach equilibrium orbits   
   > due to this tugging as well as impacts with other debris.   
   >   
      
   Has Saturn always had rings, or do we just live in a period when something   
   "broke up" a few million years ago?   
      
   Are Saturn's rings slowly depleting due to collisions and radiation   
   pressure?   
      
   Could all the gas giants possess massive rings from time to time?   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)   

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