busyImaging scientists on NASA's Cassini mission are telling a tale of how the small moons orbiting near the outer rings of Saturn came to be. The moons began as leftover shards from larger bodies that broke apart and filled out their "figures" with the debris that made the rings.
I have long been intrigued by the orbital mechanics and origin processes of planetary rings, asteroid belts, and other celestial features made up of debris clouds. The latest observations offer some interesting ideas for science fiction writers.
December 14 2007, 11:27:56 UTC 13 years ago