Why does Saturn have rings?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Destroyed moon or comet debris
Destroyed moon or comet debris ✓ — Correct! Saturn's rings likely formed when a moon or comet got too close and was torn apart by gravity. The rings are mostly ice particles, from tiny grains to house-sized chunks, all orbiting Saturn. They're surprisingly thin—only about 30 feet thick!
Saturn spins extremely fast — Wrong. While Saturn does spin fast, rotation doesn't create rings. They're debris from destroyed objects.
Magnetic field traps particles — Wrong. Magnetism doesn't hold the rings. Gravity keeps the particles in orbit around Saturn.
More Astronomy & Space questions
- The Sun is cooler than the proton barrier suggests. Why does fusion still start?
- Earth's atmosphere slowly leaks to space. Which gas escapes fastest?
- Why is Earth's day getting slightly longer every century?
- Why was Earth's day stuck at 19.5 hours for 1.5 billion years?
- Why might several small units beat one giant Moon reactor?
- Why is fission likelier than fusion for first Moon bases?
