http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7016623398?Spitzer%20Space%20Tel escope%20Confirms%20Saturn%27s%20New%20Massive%20Ring
October 7, 2009 1:03 p.m. EST Pasadena, CA (AHN) - American astronomers have confirmed Saturn's new massive ring using the infrared camera of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The ring of dust and ice is thick but so diffused and massive that it was not easily detectable through visible-light telescopes. It lies so far from the plane of Saturn's main rings or 3.7 million miles away from the planet and spans 7.4 million miles from end to end. The ring is in the same orbit as the Saturnian moon Phoebe indicating that particles composing it originated from the satellite. Astronomers have long suspected of the ring's existence because of the dark material that obscures another Saturn moon, Iapetus. The discovery of the ring is detailed in a paper to be published in the journal Nature's website on Wednesday. Authors of the paper are Anne Verbiscer,and Michael Skrutskie of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville and Douglas Hamilton of the University of Maryland, College Park. *********************************** * POST TO MEDIANEWS@ETSKYWARN.NET * *********************************** Medianews mailing list Medianews@etskywarn.net http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
