From Moon to Ring: Creation of Saturn’s Rings
In From Moon to Ring: Creation of Saturn’s Rings, Professor Brian Cox explains how Saturn’s rings came to be and what scientists have learned from the Cassini mission. Learn how dynamic and dramatic Saturn’s iconic rings are and the role that gravity plays in creating its rings. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.
Lesson Express
Q: What did you learn about Saturn’s rings?
A: Students may mention how the rings are created by moons that break apart when gravity pulls at them, how the rings have 3D structures in them, or that the rings formed quickly once the moon was pulled apart.
Q: Saturn’s rings are 10 meters thick. How thick is that in feet?
A: 10 meters is 32.80 feet thick.
Q: What did the Cassini images reveal in Saturn’s rings?
A: The images revealed 3D structures and piles of debris.
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