Posted on 09/06/2005 2:14:47 PM PDT by siunevada
LOS ANGELES (AP) - New observations by the international Cassini spacecraft reveal that Saturn's trademark shimmering rings, which have dazzled astronomers since Galileo's time, have dramatically changed over just the past 25 years.
Among the most surprising findings is that parts of Saturn's innermost ring - the D ring - have grown dimmer since the Voyager spacecraft flew by the planet in 1981, and a piece of the D ring has moved 125 miles inward toward Saturn.
While scientists puzzle over what caused the changes, their observations could reveal something about the age and lifetime of the rings.
Cassini-related discoveries were discussed Monday at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society's division of planetary sciences in Cambridge, England.
"I don't think Saturn's rings will disappear anytime soon, but this tells us how the rings are evolving and how long they might last, " deputy project scientist Linda Spilker said in a telephone interview from England.
Scientists are interested in Saturn's rings because they are a model of the disk of gas and dust that initially surrounded the sun. Studying them could yield important clues about how the planets formed from that disc 4.5 billion years ago.
The ring observations were made this summer. The $3.3 billion Cassini mission, funded by NASA and the European and Italian space agencies, was launched in 1997. Cassini is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.
and i thought bush could just control hurricanes...what talent! maybe we could get him to push the sun back to cool global warming and then maybe the looney left will shut-up!
I don't know. I will ping a planetary geologist I know at JPL and see what he has to say. :-)
You mean he's manipulating the sun, too? The man has gone completely insane with power!
Not to worry, Art Bell will explain it all.
I don't know. I've been goofing around too much with the bad kids in the back of the class to pay attention to the straight answers.
Of course it would make sense that there would be a gravitational pull. And it does say a 'piece' of the D ring now that I actually read the darned thing. But there should also be a balance to the inward pull with the centrifugal outward force, shouldn't there? After 4.5 B years you would think all the orbital rough edges would have been smoothed out, wouldn't you?
What if they go back in 25 years and it has moved back out? Like breathing in and out. Just an orbital oddity.
Scientist have changed the name of Uranus to:
Urectum
Not my joke!!
Don't blame the messenger
*rolling eyes*
It looks like Voyager started the change...who was President when Voyager was launched? Nixon? Ford? There must be some Republican who can be blamed.
No, they were equally hysterical when grants were being handed out to study global freezing back in the olden days (around 1970).
Not my joke!! Don't blame the messenger
Just don't be spreading it for all the world to see.
Footfall is the first thing I thought of when I saw the headline.
We better start praying too President Bush, instead of for him.
LOL!!!
I did not! I was never anywhere near Saturn last week. Anyway, you got no proof.
If So, WHERE is it Going??
Perhaps we should pay More attention to this.
Doc
Damn near killed 'em!
Why am I NOT Surp rised??
MOST of the "Troubles" Suffered by Human Society have been "Instigated by,--or Originated By, or Invented By Human Political Mischief!!--
& Most of our Problems have been "Instigated by" individuals of Juvenile Maturity who have USURPED ADULT authority (& who are UTTERLY IGNORANT of the level of Responsibility which accompanies that "Authority!!")
'Said "JERKWEEDS" have NO "Constitutional Authority,"--& Probably OUGHT to be Jailed!
Whatever.
The Mayor of New Orleans, & the Governor of Louisiana were CRIMINALLY Negligent in their response to Hurricane "Katrina!!"
The PRIME RESPONDERS to a Local Disaster are the Leaders of the Local Government;--THEY "SCREWED UP 'BIG-TIME!!'"The Images of Hundreds of Busses Mired in Floodwaters are an Undisputable Indightment of Incompetence of Monumental proportions!!
The Mayor of New Orleans OUGHT to be Jailed--!
There are Reports that the Red Cross & FEMA & the Salvation Army were BLOCKED from entering the "Disaster Area!!"
ANYONE who "Blocked" this "Disaster Relief" has CLEARLY COMMITTED a CRIMINAL ACT!!. WE ARE DEALING WITH "children"-- WE ARE "dEALING wITH" THE FEW "pSYCHOPATHS" WHO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE aMERICANS wHO bELIEVE THAT tHEIR fELLOW cITIZENS WOULD ABANDON THEM TO DIE!! doc
I was particularly impressed how the liberal ended up "seeing the light" and the guy who was so anti-nuclear ended up in the compost heap.........
the oldest:
Changes in Saturn Rings Baffle Scientists
Washington Post | Monday, September 5, 2005 | ALICIA CHANG
Posted on 09/05/2005 7:20:18 PM PDT by Zrob
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1478155/posts
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