(ORDO NEWS) — The most unusual planet in the solar system is Saturn with its unusual rings. The six rings around it have their own special color, and they have a non-uniform density and size.
And now incomprehensible spots appeared on them. Do they threaten the rings with complete disappearance?
The first spots were noticed by astronomers on the rings several decades ago. Astronomers continued to closely monitor them all this time.
And so, it turned out that their number has increased. Some scientists worry that over time the rings will disappear forever and the planet will lose its zest.
The rings themselves appeared relatively recently by astronomical standards (from 10 to 100 million years ago). Each of them received its own name (Latin letter).
Researchers from NASA dispelled all myths. They said that such a phenomenon is “seasonal” and appears from time to time.
Sometimes there are more spots, sometimes less, but they always disappear and appear. This is called “season of spokes”.
This planet also has seasons and they alternate, only they are significantly different from our seasons. Saturn itself is a gas giant. The planet has an axial tilt, like the Earth, only it is slightly more and equal to 26 degrees.
Due to this tilt, there are also seasons on the planet, there are equinoxes, solstices. One year on Saturn lasts like 29 Earth years.
It turns out that one season lasts about 7 years. Observations have shown that spots appear before the equinox on Saturn.
Scientists have calculated the time and say that the next equinox will take place in 2025. Spots appear in about 4 Earth years.
So the rings will not disappear anywhere and will delight us with their beauty for a long time.
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