Giant new ring detected around Saturn

[edesignuk]

A colossal new ring has been identified around Saturn.

The dusty hoop extends some 13 million km from the planet, about 50 times further out into space than its more familiar rings.

Scientists tell the journal Nature that the tenuous ring is probably made up of debris kicked off Saturn's moon Phoebe by small impacts.

They think this dust then migrates towards the planet where it is picked up by another Saturnian moon, Iapetus.

The discovery would appear to resolve a longstanding mystery in planetary science: why the walnut-shaped Iapetus has a two-tone complexion, with one side of the moon significantly darker than the other.BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8291905.stm).

[iBlue]

How cool! Who ever thought a big ball of gas could be so pretty and fascinating. :) (to say the least)

[IntheNet]

...A colossal new ring has been identified around Saturn..

Wars, swine flu, terrorists, growing cancer rates, and scientists concentrate on dirty planet rings we can do nothing about...

Perspective!

[edesignuk]

Perspective!Yes, please have some. :rolleyes:

[yellow]

Wars, swine flu, terrorists, growing cancer rates, and scientists concentrate on dirty planet rings we can do nothing about...

Perspective!

SOME scientists. Your statement makes it sounds like all scientists. Personally I'm more interested in astrophysics than sociology.

[bartelby]

What, No jokes about dirty rings around Uranus??

shocking!!

[iBlue]

^ :D Excellent!




Wars, swine flu, terrorists, growing cancer rates, and scientists concentrate on dirty planet rings we can do nothing about...

Perspective!

Yes, all those astrophysicists and other such space-heads should stop their useless work immediately and get going on epidemiology, oncology, sociology, paranoia and stuff that may please YOUR perspective of what is important.
Everyone has their specialized field.

Perspective!

[zoomungus]

Maybe we need to watch the planets anyhoo................something could be hurtling towards us right now, cant wait for 2012;)

Oh I forgot, they are detonating a nuke on the moon too:eek:

[IntheNet]

Yes, all those astrophysicists and other such space-heads should stop their useless work immediately and get going on epidemiology, oncology, sociology, paranoia and stuff that may please YOUR perspective of what is important

I actually believe that.

Can you tell me how this second ring at Saturn - that even the article mentions is almost invisible - matters to human life here on earth? How much $ was spent to detect it that could have been better spent giving a loan to a small business, or building a new oil refinery, or starting a new car manufacturing company? In terms of relevance to human affairs this new ring at Saturn - like the fictional Romulan Neutral Zone but certainly as relevant - matters little and means even less. Stories such as this surface in the news from time to time so useless space heads can justify academic research loans that the rest of working society is burdened to pay.

Perspective.

[edesignuk]

Perspective.mmmm, yeah, you're probably right. Humans should just knock if off with all forms of scientific advancement. What's the point anyway, right?

[Unspoken Demise]

swine flu
Is not that bad buddy. Take it from a guy who had it. ;)

Perspective!

[iBlue]

I actually believe that.

Can you tell me how this second ring at Saturn - that even the article mentions is almost invisible - matters to human life here on earth? How much $ was spent to detect it that could have been better spent giving a loan to a small business, or building a new oil refinery, or starting a new car manufacturing company? In terms of relevance to human affairs this new ring at Saturn - like the fictional Romulan Neutral Zone but certainly as relevant - matters little and means even less. Stories such as this surface in the news from time to time so useless space heads can justify academic research loans that the rest of working society is burdened to pay.

Perspective.

If you are that painfully short-sighted then I have no reason to even dignify this with a proper response. You wouldn't understand or agree anyway. It would just feed your trollish desire to stir up crap. No thanks.

[jessica.]

I actually believe that.

Can you tell me how this second ring at Saturn - that even the article mentions is almost invisible - matters to human life here on earth? How much $ was spent to detect it that could have been better spent giving a loan to a small business, or building a new oil refinery, or starting a new car manufacturing company? In terms of relevance to human affairs this new ring at Saturn - like the fictional Romulan Neutral Zone but certainly as relevant - matters little and means even less. Stories such as this surface in the news from time to time so useless space heads can justify academic research loans that the rest of working society is burdened to pay.

Perspective.

I would much rather have them discover a ring around the toilet than extend credit just for the sake of over-extending credit, or build a new refinery, or start a new car company when some of the existing car companies are barely hanging on.

[yellow]

In terms of relevance to human affairs this new ring at Saturn - like the fictional Romulan Neutral Zone but certainly as relevant - matters little and means even less. Stories such as this surface in the news from time to time so useless space heads can justify academic research loans that the rest of working society is burdened to pay.

I think it's nice that we're concerned about things significantly larger than Earth and the human race that infects it.

[IntheNet]

I think it's nice that we're concerned about things significantly larger than Earth and the human race that infects it.

Actually I think it's nice too... my concern, however, was that there are in fact worldly things here on earth that merit our attention far more... I know sometimes when realists place due emphasis upon small business loans, new oil refineries, or new car companies they are belittled as trolls but that doesn't change reality....

Anyone wish to try to make a case for how these almost "invisible" rings around Saturn will impact humanity (more so than examples I emphasized in paragraph above)?

[MasterDev]

I don't know about all of you guys... But I'm still pissed that Pluto is not considered a planet anymore...

[jessica.]

Actually I think it's nice too... my concern, however, was that there are in fact worldly things here on earth that merit our attention far more... I know sometimes when realists place due emphasis upon small business loans, new oil refineries, or new car companies they are belittled as trolls but that doesn't change reality....

Anyone wish to try to make a case for how these almost "invisible" rings around Saturn will impact humanity (more so than examples I emphasized in paragraph above)?

Yes I do have a case. It is narrow-minded to so I think you'll agree. A new ring around Saturn may bring back thoughts of Saturn the car and may rekindle the love for it thereby calling for higher demand and thus bringing back more jobs at GM. Therefore, the ring, albeit faint and new, may just tie into your thoughts about cars. ;)

[Teh Don Ditty]

This is really interesting. The sheer size of it is mind boggling. 1B Earths?!?!?!

[Guiyon]

Wars, swine flu, terrorists, growing cancer rates, and scientists concentrate on dirty planet rings we can do nothing about...

Perspective!

I have to give you credit, you've been here for a whole day and have been giving trolling your all. Try branching out your subjects a bit though, you keep grabbing at the low-hanging fruit.

As for the topic at hand, very cool! It's amazing some of the things we discover simply within out own minuscule corner of the galaxy. Should be even more interesting the further out we move (assuming we get the chance...).

[notjustjay]

I don't know about all of you guys... But I'm still pissed that Pluto is not considered a planet anymore...

My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us...

Nectarines?

Noodles?

Nachos?

Neopolitan ice cream?

[FrankieTDouglas]

Correct me if I'm way off base here, but the science community is highly, HIGHLY specialized. I don't see how pulling astronomers off research of Saturn and placing them onto, say, genome research, is being productive. They're out of their field, and while able to grasp the concepts easier than someone without a doctoral background in science, would still be relatively useless in finding disease cures.

[Unspoken Demise]

Correct me if I'm way off base here, but the science community is highly, HIGHLY specialized. I don't see how pulling astronomers off research of Saturn and placing them onto, say, genome research, is being productive. They're out of their field, and while able to grasp the concepts easier than someone without a doctoral background in science, would still be relatively useless in finding disease cures.

Then the only logical course of action is they change their specialty. :rolleyes:
******* astrology!

[edesignuk]

Correct me if I'm way off base hereYou're not, no one is. IntheNet is just severely lacking in any normal, reasonable common sense what-so-ever.

That or they're just a big fat stonking troll, it's really hard to say.

[Teh Don Ditty]

You're not, no one is. IntheNet is just severely lacking in any normal, reasonable common sense what-so-ever.

That or they're just a big fat stonking troll, it's really hard to say.

Can't it be both?

[arkitect]

Can't it be both?

It's got my vote, definitely.

[velocityg4]

Actually I think it's nice too... my concern, however, was that there are in fact worldly things here on earth that merit our attention far more... I know sometimes when realists place due emphasis upon small business loans, new oil refineries, or new car companies they are belittled as trolls but that doesn't change reality....

Anyone wish to try to make a case for how these almost "invisible" rings around Saturn will impact humanity (more so than examples I emphasized in paragraph above)?

The building of a new space telescope or probe funds research. Which creates new high tech materials.

Resultant technologies can be new solar panels, propulsion, stronger lighter alloys, super strong threads (body armor, ropes, parachutes) or just about anything one can imagine. Funding purely scientific research in the 1700's, 1800's and 1900's (much of which had no practical application at the time) is why we have cars, electronics, planes, stainless steel, medicine, plastics, electricity and everything else we have today.

The space race is what first pushed the computer to be small. It has pushed laser research, medicine (getting a person to live in space), propulsion, missile design, global communications, and numerous materials. Eventually this research will bring us a nearly limitless supply in resources from extra terrestrial bodies and autonomous robots useful for mining and other outdoor labor industries.

If it was not for these probes and telescopes. We would not know of these things called asteroids and that we should be looking for really ********** big ones to try and stop them before they hit us.

But I guess funding a small business or a new oil refinery, which are typically paid for by their owners plus any loans and investors they get, is more important:rolleyes:. By the way it is not lack of money preventing that new oil refinery it is environmental groups successfully blocking permission to be given for construction. But that is another matter than the topic at hand so I digress.

[obeygiant]

You're not, no one is. IntheNet is just severely lacking in any normal, reasonable common sense what-so-ever.

That or they're just a big fat stonking troll, it's really hard to say.

Careful calling "troll" around here, they may put you in time-out. :eek:



oh yeah, rings around saturn cool beans!

The E-ring around Saturn is about 250,000 miles from the planet's center. The new ring, detected in the infrared light spectrum is about 3 million miles out. Possibly adding to the light/dark areas of the moon Iapetus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iapetus_(moon)).

[yg17]

******* astrology!

Astronomy.

Astrology is horoscopes and **** like that ;)

[Unspoken Demise]

Astronomy.

Astrology is horoscopes and **** like that ;)

I dont like your tone Mr.
Woe is comin' your way. Thats what your horoscope says Buster! :p

[Rt&Dzine]

The earth is flat and let's just leave it at that.

[zoomungus]

The earth is flat and let's just leave it at that.

Can I get a Big "HELL YES" :cool:

[bartelby]

Astronomy.

Astrology is horoscopes and **** like that ;)

So he was correct in what he said then...

[Apple Hobo]

I actually believe that.

Can you tell me how this second ring at Saturn - that even the article mentions is almost invisible - matters to human life here on earth? How much $ was spent to detect it that could have been better spent giving a loan to a small business, or building a new oil refinery

That makes sense considering anything produced by an oil refinery probably doesn't cause cancer, which you seem to be concerned about.


or starting a new car manufacturing company? [...] loans that the rest of working society is burdened to pay.

Let's hope this new car company does better than GM.

Cancer won't be cured in our lifetime, if ever, and world peace will probably never happen, so why waste time on these things that you seem to think are of paramount concern to all of humanity? Just another perspective, right?

[rhinosrcool]

When are we going to have Google Universe? ;)

[IntheNet]

Cancer won't be cured in our lifetime, if ever, and world peace will probably never happen, so why waste time on these things that you seem to think are of paramount concern to all of humanity? Just another perspective, right?

Thanks for your thoughts but in my opinion we have a great need for the science community to focus; not on Saturn's rings or lack of such, but on real world (this world) matters. I don't accept the premise that cancer will not be cured nor peace achieved; that is a poor attitude for science to have. Moreover, due to the current administration's wasteful financial record and deficit spending, we may have to refocus space financial assets, and near earth science, astrophysicists, along with NASA's government apparatus, personnel and staff upon real issues here on earth rather than wasting them on further space jaunts, so that things like cancer that affect mankind can be addressed. But, if cancer is not a priority, nor world peace, then do by all means hail Saturn's rings...

[CorvusCamenarum]

Thanks for your thoughts but in my opinion we have a great need for the science community to focus; not on Saturn's rings or lack of such, but on real world (this world) matters. I don't accept the premise that cancer will not be cured nor peace achieved; that is a poor attitude for science to have. Moreover, due to the current administration's wasteful financial record and deficit spending, we may have to refocus space financial assets, and near earth science, astrophysicists, along with NASA's government apparatus, personnel and staff upon real issues here on earth rather than wasting them on further space jaunts, so that things like cancer that affect mankind can be addressed. But, if cancer is not a priority, nor world peace, then do by all means hail Saturn's rings...

Because space exploration and cancer research are mutually exclusive. (http://www.spacecoalition.com/files/Capital_Hill/Dr_Bernard_A_Harris_Jr_Op_Ed.pdf) (PDF warning)
Indeed, space experiments have already provided new perspectives into cancer, aging, and infectious
diseases. Ovarian cancer cells have been studied onboard the ISS to track growth patterns and help develop a
more targeted treatment.

[MacNut]

When are we going to have Google Universe? ;)We already do.;)