Colliding satellites formed Saturn’s craziest ring

 
Scientists at Kobe University in Japan may have found what caused at least one of Saturn’s rings to come into being.
Research published in the journal Nature Geoscience reveals that Saturn’s F Ring, the outermost and thinnest of the planet’s several rings, is most likely the result of a collision of two small satellites occurring during the last stage of the planet’s satellite formation, CNET reports.
Professor Ohtsuki Keiji and doctoral student Hyodo Ryuki explain that Saturn’s rings used to be made up of much smaller particles in a far greater quantity. Over time, they began to accrete and form larger pieces of rock near the outer edges of the rings.
The researchers discovered that the F Ring was created when two large satellites at the outer edge of the planet’s rings collided, with debris creating the thin and sparse outermost ring and the dense cores of the satellites forming the moons Prometheus and Pandora.
“Through this study, we were able to show that the current rings of Saturn reflect the formation and evolution processes of the planet’s satellite system,” Ryuki said.
“As plans are underway in and outside of Japan to explore the satellite system of Jupiter and the satellites of Mars, we will continue to unravel the origin of satellite systems, which is key to understanding the formation process of planetary systems,” Keiji added.
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(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI)