Saturn

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Saturn's Rings Might Be Way Older Than Thought
Saturn's Rings Could Be
4.5B Years Old, Not 400M
NEW STUDY
Dec 17, 2024 1:47 PM CST

Saturn's Rings Could Be 4.5B Years Old, Not 400M

New research disrupts 'baby rings' theory

(Newser) - New research suggests that Saturn's rings may be older than they look—possibly as old as the planet, the AP reports. Instead of being a youthful 400 million years old as commonly thought, the icy, shimmering rings could be around 4.5 billion years old just like Saturn, a...

Saturn's 'Death Star' Moon May Hide an Ocean
Saturn's
'Death Star'
Moon May
Hide an Ocean
NEW STUDY
Feb 8, 2024 6:25 PM CST

Saturn's 'Death Star' Moon May Hide an Ocean

Relatively young ocean thought to fill half of Mimas' volume

(Newser) - Astronomers have found the best evidence yet of a vast, young ocean beneath the icy exterior of Saturn's Death Star lookalike mini moon. The French-led team analyzed changes in Mimas' orbit and rotation and reported that a hidden ocean 12 to 18 miles beneath the frozen crust was more...

Prospects of Life on This Moon 'Are Getting Better and Better'

Scientists find evidence of hydrogen cyanide, needed to form amino acids, on Enceladus

(Newser) - Scientists previously discovered the six essential ingredients of life spewing from Enceladus , one of Saturn's 146 moons, which is considered to have one of the best chances of hosting life of any known planetary body in the solar system besides Earth. Now, they've discovered evidence of a poisonous...

Last 'Ingredient' for Life Found on Saturn Moon
Life Requires 6 Elements.
This Moon Has Them All
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jun 24, 2023 6:30 AM CDT

Life Requires 6 Elements. This Moon Has Them All

Scientists detect phosphorous on the Saturn moon of Enceladus, the last element missing

(Newser) - Scientists have detected phosphorous in the icy mist from one of Saturn's moons. That in itself might not sound like a big deal unless you consider that they previously detected carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur there as well. And that might not sound like a big deal unless...

One of Saturn's Moons Is Spraying Epic Water Plumes

Tiny, bright satellite of Enceladus dazzles astronomers with its geysers

(Newser) - Enceladus, Saturn's sixth-largest moon—and the solar system's most reflective object—has been putting on a show, spraying massive volumes of water into space. Aided by the James Webb Space Telescope, Mashable reports that collaborating NASA, European, and Canadian space agency researchers have been thrilled by the moon'...

Space Trivia Buffs: There's a New Leader in Moons

Jupiter adds 12 to reach 92 and move ahead of Saturn

(Newser) - Astronomers have discovered 12 new moons around Jupiter, putting the total count at a record-breaking 92. That's more than any other planet in our solar system. Saturn, the one-time leader, is second with 83 confirmed moons. The Jupiter moons were added recently to a list kept by the International...

As a Moon of Saturn Died, Planet's Rings Were Born
'Pretty Good Story' May
Explain Saturn's Rings
in case you missed it
Sep 18, 2022 3:55 PM CDT

'Pretty Good Story' May Explain Saturn's Rings

Scientists think one of its moons may have exploded eons ago

(Newser) - Saturn's rings are made from the guts of a vanished moon that got a bit too close to the planet. That's the conclusion of a new study that claims not only to explain the formation of the rings but also the significant tilt at which the solar system'...

Rare Planetary Event to Grace Night Skies in June
Ever See 5 Planets
Lined Up Before?
Here's Your Chance
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jun 11, 2022 6:30 AM CDT

Ever See 5 Planets Lined Up Before? Here's Your Chance

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn will all be aligned in June

(Newser) - Get ready for a planetary sky show not seen since "Hey Ya!" topped the charts and Mark Zuckerberg was launching Facebook out of his college dorm room. Throughout the month of June, those on the US mainland will be able to see, sans telescope, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,...

Remember Monday Night's Treat in the Sky

Jupiter and Saturn will appear nearly as one planet, a celestial rarity

(Newser) - The 2020 winter solstice has arrived, and along with it a moment that sky watchers have been anticipating for a while. Jupiter and Saturn will be so close in the night sky that they'll be difficult to distinguish as separate planets, per CNN . This so-called Great Conjunction hasn't...

Once-in-a-Lifetime Event to Occur Monday After Sunset

A Great Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter last happened in 1623

(Newser) - Jupiter and Saturn will merge in the night sky Monday, appearing closer to one another than they have since Galileo’s time in the 17th century, the AP reports. Astronomers say so-called conjunctions between the two largest planets in our solar system aren't particularly rare. Jupiter passes its neighbor...

This Year's Solstice Has a Rare Bonus
This Solstice,
a Sight Not
Seen Since
Middle Ages
in case you missed it
Dec 5, 2020 4:00 PM CST

This Solstice, a Sight Not Seen Since Middle Ages

Jupiter and Saturn will be in close alignment, the closest seen since 1226

(Newser) - This year's winter solstice comes with a nice bonus for sky watchers: Jupiter and Saturn will be so close they will look like a double planet on Dec. 21, reports Fox Science . In fact, earthlings haven't had a chance to glimpse the pair so close since the Middle...

In the Movement of Saturn's Biggest Moon, a Shocker

Titan is moving away from the planet 100 times faster than thought

(Newser) - Saturn's largest moon is moving away from the planet 100 times faster than thought—a finding that helps cement a new theory on how moons migrate. NASA explains why moons move at all: A moon's gravity tugs on the planet it is orbiting, "causing a temporary bulge...

Discoveries Mean Saturn Leads Jupiter in Moons, 82-79

A bigger telescope will have to be invented before more can be spotted

(Newser) - The solar system has a new winner in the moon department: 20 new moons have been found around Saturn, giving the ringed planet a total of 82, scientists said Monday. That beats Jupiter and its 79 moons, the AP reports. "It was fun to find that Saturn is the...

NASA Preps for Visit to 'Mysterious World'

Life may well exist below Europa's icy surface

(Newser) - A puzzling moon. A dark journey. A hunt for extra-terrestrial life. NASA knows it has a sexy mission on its hands with the Europa Clipper: "People care about it, people want to know about this mysterious world that might harbor life," NASA scientist Robert Pappalardo tells Space.com...

Saturn's 'Rain' Is Quickly Killing Its Rings


Saturn's Rings
Just Got a
Death Date
NEW STUDY
Dec 19, 2018 10:30 AM CST

Saturn's Rings Just Got a Death Date

NASA study predicts they'll be gone in 100M years

(Newser) - NASA's Voyager spacecrafts recorded data suggesting Saturn's rings were disappearing when they whipped past the planet decades ago. Now, confirmation: The rings have likely existed for only a fraction of the planet's 4.5 billion years and will be gone in an astrological flash, reads a new...

'Bittersweet' End for Cassini Saturn Probe
'Bittersweet' End
for Cassini
Saturn Probe 
THE RUNDOWN
Sep 15, 2017 12:05 PM CDT

'Bittersweet' End for Cassini Saturn Probe

'I've never watched a spacecraft die': NASA team member

(Newser) - Three missions, 20 years in space, 4.9 billion miles traveled, and nearly a half-million photographs taken. Those are just a few of the figures Space.com throws out about the day of what it deems the "bittersweet" demise of the Cassini space probe , which, on its last fumes...

Say Goodbye to the Amazing Cassini Spacecraft
Mission Complete: Cassini
Burns Up Over Saturn
UPDATED
Sep 15, 2017 7:10 AM CDT

Mission Complete: Cassini Burns Up Over Saturn

Spacecraft vaporizes after 20-year journey exploring planet

(Newser) - Cassini is no more. NASA, and the world, are saying goodbye to the Cassini spacecraft Friday morning after it burned up over Saturn as planned. Cassini plunged through the planet's atmosphere and vaporized like a meteor, ending a remarkable journey of 20 years, per the AP . "Our @CassiniSaturn...

Cassini Gets Kiss Goodbye, Careens Toward Its Death

Spacecraft will forever become one with the planet on Friday

(Newser) - After a 20-year voyage, NASA's Cassini spacecraft is poised to dive into Saturn this week to become forever one with the exquisite planet. There's no turning back: Friday it careens through the atmosphere and burns up like a meteor in the sky over Saturn. The only spacecraft ever...

Forget Mars: Humans May Live Here One Day
Forget Mars: Humans
May Live Here One Day
NEW STUDY
Jul 13, 2017 10:01 AM CDT

Forget Mars: Humans May Live Here One Day

Titan, Saturn's largest moon, has potential to be home to humans

(Newser) - Move over, Mars: Titan could be the best place for a human colony. As far as extraterrestrial bodies go, Saturn's largest moon is surprisingly like Earth, with a dense atmosphere that could shield delicate earthlings from radiation, reports New Scientist . Titan's candidacy as a settlement isn't new,...

Daring Mission Snaps Closest Ever Images of Saturn

Cassini probe dives between Saturn's rings

(Newser) - The view of a planet that’s 746 million miles away just got a little clearer, thanks to a historic first by NASA's Cassini probe. The spacecraft completed a dive between Saturn and its rings, capturing data and images of the planet never seen before. The first photos began...

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