Saturn's Moon Prometheus Spawning Moonlets 47
astroengine writes "For the first time ever, astronomers have witnessed the formation of celestial objects... in Saturn's rings. As the Saturnian moon Prometheus dashes through the gas giant's rings, it leaves large formations of ice behind, some as large as 12 kilometers in diameter. When the small moon makes another pass, it is not known whether these giant 'snowballs' remain or get destroyed, but according to Linda Spilker, from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory: 'You can think of Saturn's rings as miniature versions of the disks where planets form. The same physical processes are occurring.'"
The Planetary Society blog has further explanation, as well as pictures and a movie of Prometheus' interaction with Saturn's rings. The Cassini team has released some fantastic images of the fans and clumps in the F ring, as well as a simulation showing how the ring's particles are affected by the moon's passing.
That's no moonlet. (Score:4, Funny)
It's a space stationlet.
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Stealing the power of the gods again... (Score:4, Funny)
One can only imagine the wonders... (Score:2, Funny)
...coming out of Uranus.
Kilometers vs. miles (Score:5, Funny)
Katamari? (Score:3, Funny)
Am I the only one who pictured something to do with Katamari in regards to flying through the rings forming larger objects?
Re:Kilometers vs. miles (Score:2, Funny)
Beard seconds are obviously based on Chuck Norris's beard.
NASA tradition (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Kilometers vs. miles (Score:3, Funny)
Can God create a question so complex that even he cannot answer it?
Can Chuck Norris grow a beard so tough that even he cannot shave it?
(Personally I think he roundhouse kicks himself in the beard. Nothing can withstand that)