Merdeka.com – Saturn is the sixth planet in the solar system known for its rings around it. Even with the rings, Saturn gets the title of the most conspicuous planet in the solar system.
The ring revolving around the planet Saturn initially puzzled scientists, although various theories about the formation of the ring have been explained. However, scientists now have a new theory that can explain the ring formation.
–
Quoted by CNN on Thursday (9/15), a team of space scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology revealed that Saturn’s rings may have come from an ancient lost moon.
The planet Saturn itself has 82 moons. For this reason, the research team suggests that the planet may have another moon orbiting it for several billion years.
But about 160 million years ago, the moon became unstable and orbited too close to the planet Saturn. Eventually the moon hit the planet Saturn and the remnants of the collision were thrown into orbit and broke into small pieces of ice that eventually formed rings on the planet.
Previously, scientists revealed that Saturn’s rings are younger than the planet itself, which is around 100 million years old. However, a study published yesterday in the Journal of Science showed different results.
“Various explanations have been offered, but none are really convincing. Interestingly, the previously unexplained young age of the ring is naturally explained in our scenario, “said study author Jack Wisdom, a professor of planetary science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
2 of 2 pages
–
