Saturn - this is the sixth planet of the solar system.Like the other planets, it is called in honor of the Roman god (Saturn - the god of agriculture).
This is the second largest planet in the solar system.It is a gas giant, which is located inside the core.Saturn rotates around the sun of 29.5 years.The main feature and the main decoration of the planet are the rings of Saturn.Photos that have been made probe "Cassini", illustrate all the beauty of this unusual phenomenon.
Saturn's rings discovered in 1610. Galileo Galilei.He first saw them through his telescope.Galileo saw only part of the ring and decided that this planet's moons.Only fifty years later another researcher, H. Gyuytins proved that the ring of Saturn.Later, John. Cassini found that the ring is not one.In the XIX century, when the more powerful telescopes, found another ring closest to the planet.A mid-twentieth century discovered the ring, which is practically in contact with the atmosphere of the planet.At the moment, it is known that the six rings, visible and well-defined.In fact, there are several hundred.
As they differ in thickness from 10 to 1000 meters.By the standards of the universe can be said that they are flat.Saturn rings consist of small particle size from 1 cm to 10 m. The outer diameter is 275 000 km and an inner 149 000 km.The width of the main ring is 75 000 km.
in Saturn's rings have two slots.One is called the Cassini division, its value is equal to 4 000 km.The other is called the gap Enke, it move in their orbits three Saturn: Pan, Atlas and New Moon.
Saturn's rings, of course, are a majestic sight.They are not static, fold, expand, and may disappear altogether.The reason for this phenomenon is that the rings are arranged in one plane with the equator.Therefore, depending on how the Saturn and Earth arranged relative to each other, the rings appear to us at different angles.
United hypothesis origin of Saturn's rings do not.Now there are two versions about their appearance.The first states that it is the remnants of the protoplanetary cloud from which the solar system was formed.A large planet thanks to its powerful gravitational fields prevented the unification of these particles in a separate outer body.They have remained small particles, which were rotated around the huge planet.
second hypothesis appeared recently.This assumption is based on superconductivity.The temperature on the planet's surface is -180 degrees.In the rarefied atmosphere of flies a lot of ice particles.In the event of the magnetic field of the planet begins to act superconductivity ice particles.They get additional traffic and try to take a place with less traffic.And this is possible only in the geographic area of the equator.As a result, there ring.
There is one more fantastic hypothesis.It says that the ring appeared after, approaching the planet exploded a large asteroid, but there is no evidence of this.
Despite the fact that humanity has advanced far ahead in space exploration, the rings of Saturn store still many unsolved mysteries.
