Discs of Debris: The Rings of Saturn
In Discs of Debris: The Rings of Saturn, Professor Brian Cox explains what scientists have learned about how Saturn’s rings came to be and how new they are. Learn which came first, Saturn’s rings or its moons. 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 have we learned about Saturn’s rings?
A: They have become dirty and dingy as they have been bombarded with debris. The rings are young — less than 100 million years old.
Q: How were Saturn’s rings made?
A: Scientists theorize that the rings were made by material from Saturn’s moons.
Q: What is a moon? When does debris become a moon?
A: Student answers will vary. Students may talk about how a moon must be in orbit, and that it has its own gravitational pull.
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