What are Saturn’s Rings Made of
Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system and is the sixth planet from the sun (after Jupiter and before Uranus). It is famous for having the most extensive planetary ring system in the solar system. Due to the fact that it is clearly visible in the night sky with the naked it has been known since prehistoric times as it is. However, it wasn’t until 1610 that a famous scientist named Galileo discovered that Saturn had rings. He didn’t know what the rings were or what they were made of and he theorized that they were two moons on Saturn’s sides. Christiaan Huygens was the first astronomer to propose that Saturn was surrounded a ring. It wasn’t until much later that scientists discovered what the rings were made of.
What are Saturn’s rings made of
Saturn’s rings are made up of mostly water ice (about 93%) with some dust and other chemicals. The other 7% is made up of carbon. The rings are actually made of many tiny particles ranging from the size of a speck of dust to the size of a small car. Scientists are unsure about how the rings came to occur, but there are two main theories. The first theory is that they are the pieces of a destroyed moon. The second suggests that the rings are actually left over material from when Saturn was formed. Interestingly, some of the ice in the central rings of Saturn comes from the moon Enceladus. This moon is famous for its ice volcanoes.
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