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Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: makattak on October 07, 2009, 01:07:00 AM

Title: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: makattak on October 07, 2009, 01:07:00 AM
Not seven as was previously thought.

And the eighth is MASSIVE.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,561500,00.html (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,561500,00.html)

Quote
PASADENA, Calif.  —  The Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered the biggest but never-before-seen ring around the planet Saturn, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced late Tuesday.

The thin array of ice and dust particles lies at the far reaches of the Saturnian system and its orbit is tilted 27 degrees from the planet's main ring plane, the laboratory said.

JPL spokeswoman Whitney Clavin said the ring is very diffuse and doesn't reflect much visible light but the infrared Spitzer telescope was able to detect it.

Although the ring dust is very cold — minus 316 degrees Fahrenheit — it shines with thermal radiation.

No one had looked at its location with an infrared instrument until now, Clavin said.

The bulk of the ring material starts about 3.7 million miles from the planet and extends outward about another 7.4 million miles.

The newly found ring is so huge it would take 1 billion Earths to fill it, JPL said.

Before the discovery Saturn was known to have seven main rings named A through E and several faint unnamed rings.

A paper on the discovery was to be published online Wednesday by the journal Nature.

"This is one supersized ring," said one of the authors, Anne Verbiscer, an astronomer at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Her co-authors are Douglas Hamilton of the University of Maryland, College Park, and Michael Skrutskie, also of the University of Virginia.

Saturn's moon Phoebe orbits within the ring and is believed to be the source of the material.

The ring also may answer the riddle of another moon, Iapetus, which has a bright side and a very dark side.

The ring circles in the same direction as Phoebe, while Iapetus, the other rings and most of Saturn's other moons go the opposite way. Scientists think material from the outer ring moves inward and slams into Iapetus.

"Astronomers have long suspected that there is a connection between Saturn's outer moon Phoebe and the dark material on Iapetus," said Hamilton. "This new ring provides convincing evidence of that relationship."

The Spitzer mission, launched in 2003, is managed by JPL in Pasadena. Spitzer is 66 million miles from Earth in orbit around the sun.

Don't have much to say other than, Wow, the things we can do.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: Phyphor on October 07, 2009, 02:15:56 AM
Yea, and the way we can pick out smaller and smaller worlds in other star systems?  Hell yea.  If there is life out there, we'll probably find it.... if it's close enough..... this is just one small step towards that goal.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: Fly320s on October 07, 2009, 07:58:56 AM
Quote
The bulk of the ring material starts about 3.7 million miles from the planet
And it is in orbit around Saturn?  That's amazing.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: Gewehr98 on October 07, 2009, 08:45:00 AM
Insert "Rings around Uranus" jokes here.   =D
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: Regolith on October 07, 2009, 09:22:27 AM
Insert "Rings around Uranus" jokes here.   =D

(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv320%2FKoloblicin%2FWorf_is_Frustrated.gif&hash=c444232141922667433a9eb693a9455e1a7470ca)
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: taurusowner on October 07, 2009, 10:04:29 AM
Very appropriate Regolith.  Bravo.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: MechAg94 on October 07, 2009, 10:11:45 AM
Don't have much to say other than, Wow, the things we can do.
Yeah, and considering that we have barely made it off our own planet, it is pretty cool what we can find just sitting here and looking.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: roo_ster on October 07, 2009, 12:19:10 PM
Yep, and there is so much sky to et a bead on with our sensors, we can expect discoveries like this in perpetuity.  Just have to get better & better sensors to focus on different bits of sky at different times.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: taurusowner on October 07, 2009, 01:02:31 PM
Just think what we would find if we actually tried to something other than just sit here on Earth.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: Harold Tuttle on October 07, 2009, 02:05:44 PM
robots in space > people in space
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: makattak on October 07, 2009, 02:14:03 PM
robots in space > people in space

That really depends on the people....



Ohhhhhhhh are you meaning for purposes of exploration and discovery? Yeah, most likely.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: AJ Dual on October 07, 2009, 02:54:36 PM
People that are robots in space > robots in space > people in space...  =D

Since I've got a bit of a reputation here as a Kurzweilian transhumanist, I couldn't resist.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: Harold Tuttle on October 07, 2009, 02:56:52 PM
shipping water & air out of the gravity well is too darn expensive

telepresence is where we should roam while re-pushing at the x-15 envelope
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: AJ Dual on October 07, 2009, 03:16:30 PM
Saturn has eight rings?

Well, there are FOUR lights!

(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi156.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ft33%2FAJ_Dual%2Ffourlights.png&hash=6824186f8ea5a4c6e7d511871e10ebebbfc06e97)
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas on October 07, 2009, 03:28:20 PM
Saturn has eight rings?

Well, there are FOUR lights!

(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi156.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ft33%2FAJ_Dual%2Ffourlights.png&hash=6824186f8ea5a4c6e7d511871e10ebebbfc06e97)
Why isn't the good captain wearing pants?
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: makattak on October 07, 2009, 03:29:26 PM
Why isn't the good captain wearing pants?

Prisoner of war being tortured...












Hey, at least I can't tell you Episode number, Title and date first aired!
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: erictank on October 07, 2009, 11:13:57 PM
Prisoner of war being tortured...












Hey, at least I can't tell you Episode number, Title and date first aired!

I'm SO tempted...



But I'd have to look it up myself.  Funny, seeing as how this was one of the episodes Stewart talked about at DragonCon last month as one of his favorites of the TNG run, and he did in fact mention it by name (though he did need a prompt, IIRC).  Excellent episode, though.

robots in space > people in space

I disagree.  AFAIC, robots in space + people in space.

http://a-place-to-stand.blogspot.com/2009/07/space-quotes.html

Plus: "Manned spaceflight versus robotics? Let's see ... on your wedding night, would you be satisfied to send in a remote, and receive telemetered progress reports? " - author L. Neil Smith  =D

For a variety of reasons, including "Because it's THERE!!!", I hope that humanity as a species never agrees with you, Harry.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: RaspberrySurprise on October 08, 2009, 02:12:53 AM
Why isn't the good captain wearing pants?

They were all out of red diapers.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: MicroBalrog on October 08, 2009, 03:27:43 AM
People in space > robots in space. We need colonies, people. The Empire of Mankind needs establishin'.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: Cromlech on October 08, 2009, 05:16:33 AM
I'm SO tempted...But I'd have to look it up myself. 
That episode was a good 'un, but then I'm a big fanboy of David Warner.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: Viking on October 08, 2009, 05:28:45 AM
People in space > robots in space. We need colonies, people. The Empire of Mankind needs establishin'.
Any chance of running into hostile aliens? If so, we obviously need Space Marines!
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: Cromlech on October 08, 2009, 06:15:58 AM
Any chance of running into hostile aliens? If so, we obviously need Spehss Mahreens (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeCfod1XT7E)!
Fixed that for you.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: MicroBalrog on October 08, 2009, 12:47:22 PM
Fixed that for you.

You know GW is working on a movie, yes?
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: Balog on October 08, 2009, 03:27:18 PM
You know GW is working on a movie, yes?

Bah, rumours. Sauce plox.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: Cromlech on October 08, 2009, 05:45:25 PM
You know GW is working on a movie, yes?
Yep, saw the announcement from Games Day (wasn't there myself though).
Bah, rumours. Sauce plox.

http://www.ultramarinesthemovie.com/
Announcing ULTRAMARINES - A Warhammer 40k movie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLZe9Vx1Dh4)
Space Hulk Q&A; Games Day conversions; Space Marine movie (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/blogPost.jsp?aId=4600021a)
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: mellestad on October 08, 2009, 05:55:35 PM
Yep, saw the announcement from Games Day (wasn't there myself though).
http://www.ultramarinesthemovie.com/
Announcing ULTRAMARINES - A Warhammer 40k movie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLZe9Vx1Dh4)
Space Hulk Q&A; Games Day conversions; Space Marine movie (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/blogPost.jsp?aId=4600021a)

I'll believe it when I see a trailer.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: Cromlech on October 08, 2009, 06:06:01 PM
Fair enough. The last link is to Games Workshop itself, so I have fairly high hopes.
It is going to be a straight to DVD affair though, they have said that much themselves.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: mellestad on October 08, 2009, 06:53:50 PM
Fair enough. The last link is to Games Workshop itself, so I have fairly high hopes.
It is going to be a straight to DVD affair though, they have said that much themselves.

That is too bad.  I hope they just do it animated then...there is no way they could do a good live action for a smallish budget.

Although I suppose you could do fun stuff with the Inquisition or something on a smaller budget.

Maybe they can be creative though.  I would rather see no movie than a crappy movie.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: Cromlech on October 08, 2009, 07:06:49 PM
I think that it will be CGI. If they can pull of something as good as the CGI Roughnecks series (Starship Troopers) then I will be happy.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: taurusowner on October 08, 2009, 07:10:20 PM
Cromlech, that series was absolutely awesome.  You are one of the few people I know who even know it exists.  What they really need to do is finish it.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: seeker_two on October 08, 2009, 07:12:18 PM
Yeah, and considering that we have barely made it off our own planet, it is pretty cool what we can find just sitting here and looking.

Yep....we are the ultimate couch-potatoes of the Universe...  :rolleyes:

Why isn't the good captain wearing pants?

If this was THE LOVE BOAT, you wouldn't be asking this question....  =D
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: Cromlech on October 08, 2009, 08:03:27 PM
Cromlech, that series was absolutely awesome.  You are one of the few people I know who even know it exists.  What they really need to do is finish it.
I used to watch it religiously before and after school. Much better track record for awesomesauce than the movie series...  =D
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: MicroBalrog on October 10, 2009, 08:57:03 AM
I used to watch it religiously before and after school. Much better track record for awesomesauce than the movie series...  =D

Marauder was nice. In a SO TERRIBLY FAIL IT LOOPS ALL THE WAY AROUND BACK TO AWESOME.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: mellestad on October 10, 2009, 10:15:05 PM
Marauder was nice. In a SO TERRIBLY FAIL IT LOOPS ALL THE WAY AROUND BACK TO AWESOME.

Lol, yea it sucked pretty bad.

Casper Van Dien doesn't seem to a measurable level of pride.
Title: Re: Saturn has 8 rings...
Post by: MechAg94 on October 10, 2009, 10:27:32 PM
Yep....we are the ultimate couch-potatoes of the Universe...  :rolleyes:

My comment was thinking about 1) our knowledge is limited since we are just looking from Earth, but we still are able to find out quite a bit, and 2) thinking how much of what we now know will change once we actually get there in person.