Partial rings seen at 2 Saturn moons
Posted on Sunday, September 7, 2008
PASADENA, Calif. — The latest images from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft reportedly show faint, partial rings orbiting with two of Saturn’s small inner moons, scientists said.
Cassini detected a partial ring, or arch, orbiting with Anthe for the first time, and confirmed the presence of another arch near Methone, scientists said Friday.
The partial rings are likely made of material that micrometeoroids knocked off the small moons. The two small moons orbit Saturn near a larger moon, Mimas.
Scientists believe the larger moon’s gravitational influence could be what pulls the rings into arcs, said Nick Cooper, a Cassini imaging team associate from Queen Mary, University of London.
Scientists said the images will help them understand the intricate relationship between Saturn’s many moons and its rings.
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