The grainy texture of Saturn’s rings reveals clues to their origins
This false-color image to the right shows an infrared spectral map of Saturn’s A, B and C rings, captured by Cassini’s VIMS.Infrared image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/CNRS/LPG-Nantes; Saturn image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute/G. Ugarkovic New analysis of data from the Cassini mission shows that Saturn’s rings are not smooth, but rather are grainy in texture. Scientists believe that tiny moons within the rings cause materials to cluster and form clumps and straw-like patterns, revealing rings which are more complex and dynamic than we realized....