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Credit & Copyright: Hubble Heritage Team,
(AURA /
STScI),
R.G. French
(Wellesley College),
J. Cuzzi (NASA/Ames),
L. Dones (SwRI),
J. Lissauer (NASA/Ames)
Explanation:
Born in 1564,
Galileo used a telescope to
explore the Solar System.
In 1610, he became the
first
to be amazed by Saturn's rings,
After nearly 400 years,
Saturn's magnificent rings still offer
one of the most stunning astronomical sights.
Uniquely bright
compared to the rings of the
other gas giants,
Saturn's ring system is around 250,000 kilometers wide but in places only
a few tens of meters thick.
Modern astronomers believe
the rings
are perhaps only a hundred million years
young.
Accumulating dust and dynamically interacting with
Saturn's
moons, the
rings may eventually darken and sag toward
the gas giant, losing their lustre over the next
few hundred million years.
Since Galileo, astronomers have subjected
the
entrancing rings to intense scrutiny to unlock their secrets.
On December 31, 2003, Saturn made
its closest approach to Earth for the next 29 years,
a mere 1,200,000,000 kilometers.
It will remain a tantalizing target for
earthbound
telescopes in the coming
months.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Saturn - rings - Galileo Galilei
Publications with words: Saturn - rings - Galileo Galilei
See also: