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The Supermassive Podcast
40: Becky Loves Saturn
Apr 29, 2023
Join Dr Becky as she discusses her favorite planet, Saturn, with Professor Geraint Jones and Professor John Zarnecki. They delve into topics such as Saturn's captivating rings, mysterious dark markings, NASA's Dragonfly mission on Titan, Saturn's atmosphere, and the possibility of Earth getting a ring. Dr Robert Massey also shares stargazing tips and takes listener questions.
50:19
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Quick takeaways
- Saturn's rings are not evenly spread out due to the presence of moons and resonances, creating gaps and structures within the rings.
- Saturn's atmosphere does not significantly affect its moons, but connections exist such as material falling from the rings impacting the temperature of Saturn's atmosphere and Saturn's magnetic field protecting moons from solar wind.
Deep dives
Saturn's Rings: Gaps and Structure
Saturn's rings are not evenly spread out due to the presence of moons and resonances. Moons like Pan and Daphnis create gaps in the rings as they clear out debris. Resonances caused by strong gravity interactions between moons and particles lead to the formation of structure and gaps. The F ring was likely formed from debris caused by the collision of moons, while the E ring consists of material ejected from the plumes of Enceladus. The rings are dynamic and relatively young, and the current moons do not pose a significant risk of becoming future rings.
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