Planets with RINGS of the Solar System and their CHARACTERISTICS

For 300 years, it has been known Saturn as the planet of the rings. However, all gas giant planets have rings, although in the case of Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune, these rings were not discovered until much more recent times. In this lesson from a TEACHER we will see what are the main characteristics of the planets with rings of the solar system.

Index

1. General characteristics of the ringed planets of the solar system
2. Jupiter, one of the ringed planets in the Solar System
3. The rings of Saturn
4. Uranus and its rings
5. Neptune and its rings

The ringed planets of the solar system are the four gas giant planets that are located in the outer solar system (the zone of the Solar system farthest from our star): Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune.

Although each of them has particular characteristics, they all present the following properties basic:

1. They are sparse planets, formed by large masses of gas
   instagram story viewer
   and without a distinct solid surface. They probably have a solid core and all of them are covered by a dense layer of clouds. They consist mainly of hydrogen and helium. Hydrogen is ionized, being responsible for the powerful magnetospheres that all these planets have.
2. These are planets that spin at high speed. With rotation periods that last a few hours (between 10 and 17.2 hours) despite its large size.
3. All the gaseous planets of the outer solar system, such as Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune they have rings, but its characteristics and composition vary greatly from one planet to another.
4. Another characteristic common to all of them is that they all have an important number from moons.
5. They emit strong magnetic fields, that is possess magnetospheres.

Jupiter it is the largest planet in the solar system and the fifth in its position with respect to the Sun. Like the other planets in the outer solar system, it is a gas giant planet. The planet has a composition similar to that of the Sun, composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. Thus, Jupiter has the same composition as a star, but its size is not enough to cause the ignition that would turn it into a star with its own light.

Jupiter does not have a true surface, since it is formed by a mixture of gases and liquids. It is not clear whether the inner core of the planet is composed of solid material or of a thick fluid at high temperature, composed of iron and quartz-like mineral silicates.

Jupiter's atmosphere is one of its greatest mysteries. In it are formed atmospheric bands that extend from east to west and remain stable. These strips are made up of different layers of clouds that cover the entire planet. Giving him his typical appearance in white, brown and ocher bands; that extend parallel to the planet's equator.

In addition, the atmosphere of Jupiter registers stormy meteorological phenomena that are generated due to the heat emitted by the planet and that have large dimensions. Among these phenomena, the so-called Red stain Jupiter, which is a large core of storms that has a diameter equal to 2.5 times that of Earth, with winds exceeding 500 km / h.

Jupiter has four large moons (Io, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa) and a large number of smaller moons.

The planet generates a powerful magnetic field or magnetosphere around it it has an enormous extension (from the sun to beyond Saturn) and is between 16 and 54 times more powerful than the magnetic field of the Earth.

Jupiter ring system

The rings surrounding Jupiter are extremely faintFor this reason, they were not observed until the Voyager space probe approached Jupiter about 20 years ago now.

The diameter of Jupiter's ring system is about twenty times the diameter of the Earth, while its radial width is approximately the diameter of the Earth. The proportions are similar to those of a bicycle yanta. Unlike other planets, Jupiter's rings are not formed by ice crystals, but by dust. They are mostly micrometric dust particles, the typical size of which is the diameter of a human hair.

Everything seems to indicate that the rings of Jupiter were formed by the dust generated by the impact of meteorites on the innermost moons of the planet.

Saturn is another of the ringed planets in the Solar System and the sixth planet of the solar system, as regards its position with respect to the Sun; is he second largest Of the solar system. It has a flattened appearance due to the fast speed of rotation.

Like Jupiter, Saturn is composed mostly of hydrogen and helium. It does not have a proper surface, since it is a large sphere composed of gases and liquids; although it is unknown if its center could host a solid nucleus.

Saturn emits a powerful magnetic field or magnetosphere which, although inferior to that of Jupiter, is 578 times greater than that of Earth. Has a total of 53 moons and 29 additional moons pending confirmation for a total of 82 moons.

The atmosphere Saturn presents a cloud band pattern similar to that of Jupiter, but fainter. In the upper part of the atmosphere, turbulent phenomena of the type of hurricanes are observed with winds exceeding 500 m / s in the area of ​​the planet's equator. As on Jupiter, large storms have been observed on Saturn, among which the so-called big white spot discovered in 2010 and which grew to become a phenomenon that affected the entire planet.

It is a unique planet, surrounded by numerous rings composed of ice and rocks. The particles that make up Saturn's rings vary widely in size, from the smallest, the size of a speck of dust, to the largest that can be the size of a mountain. Saturn's rings are believed to have their origin in comets, asteroids or moons that were attracted by the enormous gravitational force of attraction of the planet, destroying itself before reaching its surface.

Saturn's ring system

Saturn's ring system is one of the most impressive structures in the solar system. It has a total of seven distinct rings with numerous gaps and divisions between them. It has an area of ​​282,000 kilometers and a thickness of about 10 meters.

The rings are relatively close to each other with the exception of an empty space of about 4,700 kilometers that is called Cassini division that separates two of the main rings (Ring A and Ring B). Each of Saturn's rings rotates around the planet at a different speed. However, the rings of Saturn are not unchangeable, but, as paleontologists have verified in recent years, seems to be ephemeral structures compared to the life of the planet itself.

Although it was long thought that Saturn's rings had appeared during the formation of the solar system, it is currently known that its origin is much more recent, only a few hundred million years. In addition, these rings decompose over time.

It is estimated that every second the rings of Saturn lose a ton of water ice that falls on the planet. At this rate, the rings of Saturn could have completely disappeared within about 300 million years.

It is the seventh farthest planet from Sun and the third largest planet in the solar system. Is one of the two icy planets of the solar system, the other is Neptune. It is a planet with a cold and windy atmosphere, with winds similar to those of Earth. It presents an aspect flattened at the poles due to its fast rotational speed. It has a bluish-green color due to the presence of methane gas in its atmosphere.

The most remarkable feature of Uranus is its axis of rotation, which has a very large inclination so that, its axis of rotation points in the direction of the Sun. Also, like Venus, revolves around the Sun in the opposite direction that of most planets, from east to west. In all probability this anomaly is due to an impact with an asteroid or another celestial body.

His magnetosphere is irregular in shape, probably due to the inclination of its axis of rotation. It has a total of 27 moons, but none of them have remarkable characteristics.

Uranus ring system

Its ring system was not observed until 1977, it is made up of two sets.

• A group of inner rings, narrow and dark gray.
• A second group compose them 2 outer rings of which the innermost has a reddish color while the outermost has a bluish color.

Some of the larger rings are surrounded by belts of dust. The exact composition of the particles that make up Uranus's rings is unknown. However, the lack of dust particles In the larger rings of Uranus, one of these rings (Epsilon) are made up of rocks the size of golf balls.

The narrow, dark structure of Uranus' inner rings is believed to be due to the presence of small interlunar satellites, which orbit the planet between these rings. The presence of these satellites and the influence of their gravitational fields could be the reason why the rings are so narrow and have very well defined edges.

The origin of these rings could be captured asteroid debris by the force of the planet's gravity; the fragments produced by the collision of two moons; the remains of several moons that disintegrated when getting too close to the planet or the remains of the formation of the planet Uranus itself.

Neptune It is the last of the ringed planets in the Solar System and is also the most distant planet in the solar system. It is a cold, dark gas giant whipped by strong winds. It is one of the two frozen giants of the solar system (the other is Uranus).

Although it is slightly smaller in size than Uranus, its structure and characteristics are very similar. It also has a significant number of moons (14), the largest of which is Triton, which is slightly smaller than Earth's Moon.

In addition to hydrogen and helium, Neptune's atmosphere contains a small amount of methane gas, along with some other as yet unknown component, gives it a brighter and more intense bluish color than Uranus. Like the rest of planets with rings, its atmosphere registers violent phenomena, winds of great intensity (which exceed 2,000 km / h) and major storms, such as the one observed in 1988 in its southern hemisphere, which received the name from big dark spot and whose size was equal to that of the Earth.

Neptune's ring system

Neptune's planetary ring system is very faint and weak. It is believed to be composed of dust particles and rock fragments. It is made up at least 5 main rings they are dark and narrow.

In addition, the ring system is formed by four bows which are clumps of dust, believed to be stable by the gravitational influence of the moon Galatea.

If you want to read more articles similar to Planets with rings of the Solar System, we recommend that you enter our category of Astronomy.

• Gregor Morfill. (1996). The enigma of the ring of Jupiter. Where does it come from? Astronomy Research and science. Barcelona: Scientific Press S.L
• Simon Cabanes. Benjamin Favier. Michael Le Bars. (2018). The riddle of the Jupiter bands Solar system, Research and science. Barcelona: Scientific Press S.L
• James O'Donoghue et al. Observations of the chemical and thermal response of 'ring rain' on Saturn's ionosphere., Icarus, in press (on the Internet since November 6, 2018).
• Andrew P. Ingersoll (1999). Uranus. Topics I and C. Barcelona: Scientific Press S.L
• Jeffrey N. Cuzzi. Larry W. Esposito. (1987). The rings of Uranus. Astronomy Research and science. Barcelona: Scientific Press S.L.
• The secrets of Epsilon, the mysterious ring of Uranus. (2019). National Geographic Spain.nationalgeographic.com
• Julio Solís García (2015). The atmospheres of the planets of the solar system Meteorology Statal Agency. Madrid: Yearbook of the Madrid Astronomical Observatory.
• June Kinoshita. (1990) Neptune. Astronomy Research and Science. Barcelona: Scientific Press S.L.