Saturn’s rings

Ripples in innermost rings show Saturn’s ‘fuzzy’ core wobbles

16 August 2021 Astronomy Now

Ripples in Saturn’s innermost rings indicate the planet’s core is a thick “soup” of material that sloshes about slightly, creating detectable gravitational fluctuations.

Hubble snapshot of Saturn shows ‘lord of the rings’ in all its summertime glory

24 July 2020 Astronomy Now

Hubble images Saturn and its spectacular ring system, showing the effects of summertime heating across the planet’s northern hemisphere.

Set your sights on Saturn

20 July 2020 Mark Armstrong

The magnificent ringed planet Saturn, the jewel in the Solar System’s crown, comes to opposition on the night of 20/21 July. At around this time, the ringed wonder offers its best observing circumstances for 2020.

Cassini mosaic captures moon sculpting Saturn’s rings

14 June 2019 Astronomy Now

Data collected by the Cassini spacecraft before its 2017 demise continues to shed light on the composition and dynamics of Saturn’s rings.

Cassini data shows Saturn’s rings likely a recent phenomenon

18 January 2019 Astronomy Now

Analysis of data collected near the end of the Cassini spacecraft’s mission to Saturn indicate the planet’s spectacular rings are a relatively recent phenomenon.

Saturn might lose its rings much sooner than expected

26 December 2018 Astronomy Now

The icy material making up Saturn’s rings is raining down into the planet’s atmosphere at rates implying the rings will disappear over the next 100 million to 300 million years.

Cassini’s view of Saturn’s rings still dazzling

1 May 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft plunged into the atmosphere of Saturn in 2017, concluding a hugely successful mission to explore the planet, its rings and icy moons. The spacecraft’s close-up images of Saturn’s ring system likely will remain unmatched for decades to come.