New research from Indiana University shows Saturn’s rings are no more than a few hundred million years old, much younger than the planet itself.
Indiana University Professor Emeritus of Astronomy Richard Durisen estimates the rings will last only another few hundred million years at most.
“They're both young and they won't be around very long by astronomical standards. Durisen said.
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Durisen and co-author Paul Estrada, a research scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, published two new studies on Saturn’s rings.
“We started trying to make noise at meetings and in papers about the possibility that the rings are a lot younger,” Durisen said. “Even people who thought the rings were ancient would have to admit that they're awfully bright for ice that's been sitting out for billions of years.”
Data made available from NASA’s 13-year-long Cassini spacecraft mission was able to determine the age and longevity of the rings. While Durisen and Estrada estimated that Saturn's rings are relatively young, theoretical models from the data computed how the rings change over long periods of time.
“ The really interesting thing is, well then, where did they come from? If they're not left over from the formation of Saturn, why are there rings around Saturn now? And people are thinking about that,” Durisen said.
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Durisen said the next steps for scientists is understanding the origin and significance of Saturn’s rings.
