Japanese researchers claim that the F rings on Saturn, and the surrounding satellites are the end products of a natural formation of the planet’s satellite system. One of the formation theories suggests that Saturn had more rings with more particles around it in the past than it currently has.
The theory further suggests that most of the satellites were formed by a consolidation of those particles into bigger masses. This would explain why the many small particles have formed towards the outer edge of the rings where there is less gravitational pull.
The scientific community and the whole world, in general, have always been baffled by the beautiful rings surrounding Saturn.
Prof. Ohtsuki Keiji and scholar Hyodo Ryuki from Kobe University demonstrated the formation of the F rings and the shepherd satellites using computer systems at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.
Prof. Ohtsuki also announced that there are plans to carry out an intensive exploration of Jupiter and other planets in search for more information about their origin. The research center will however not be located in Japan.
The research findings from the Jupiter study might help shed some light on the formation of other features in the galaxy and even beyond.
According to Ryuki, there is a great similarity between how Saturn’s rings were formed and how other satellite systems were usually formed.
Experts claim that the F ring is very narrow, and it only spans a few hundred kilometers. It had two satellites accompanying it namely Pandora and Prometheus. The satellites orbit both inside and outside the rings.
Scientists were also able to get a closer look at the planet and its rings thanks to the Voyager and Cassini spacecrafts that were able to collect details images.
The future studies about the satellite systems will be carried out on a larger scale. Therefore, more information is expected. Prof. Ohtsuki did not reveal the actual location n of the research facility that will be used to carry out the study.
