New Ring Discovered Around Saturn

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New Ring Discovered Around Saturn

Posted by CowboyNeal on Thursday September 9, 2004 @02:54PM

HunahpuMonkey writes "BBC News is reporting that 'scientists using the Cassini probe have found a new ring and one, possibly two, new objects orbiting Saturn.' The article also notes that the discoveries are in the planet's contorted F-ring region. The ring of new material seems to be associated with Saturn's moon Atlas."

24 of 179 comments (clear)

reaching the point... by dustmote · 2004-09-09 14:59 · Score: 4, Insightful

We're beginning to reach a point where it's just plain silly to describe Saturn's amazing collection of debris as 'moons'.

--

-1, "1337" speak
1. Re:reaching the point... by rokzy · 2004-09-09 15:02 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  it's only silly if you insist on being Earth-centric and demanding that each moon be a significant fraction of the planet's size.
2. Re:reaching the point... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-09 16:01 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  You're absolutely right! I'm sick of this earthist shit. Such demands are unfair to the other planets. In my classroom, I proudly display a poster of "Earth" where Saturn is in the foreground and earth is depicted as a small insignificant spec in the background--and it's depicted "upside-down" and America is not even visible! Most ignorant "earthlings" gaze wistfully up at their "proper" moon babbling about its "beauty" and never even ponder the dust fragments circling Saturn! Man in the moon, my ass! What about the "womyn on the spec?!"
  
  Tiny bits of flotsam circling Saturn and other (equally beautiful) planets are perfectly good "moons" too, you bastards! I hope that if there are beings on the other planets, they come and blast our smug, bloated moon into millions of wonderfully diverse bits!
  
  Mod parent up +555555555 insightful, please!
3. Re:reaching the point... by AlexMidn1ght · 2004-09-09 16:40 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  It's fairly easy to distinguish moons and debris...
  
  Debris are made of rock
  Moons are made of cheese
Footfall by rossdee · 2004-09-09 14:59 · Score: 5, Funny

The Fithp are coming...
Re:Not another one... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-09 14:59 · Score: 5, Funny

That's what? 32,638 so far?
Let's hope cassini has something better than a signed 16 bit counter
Re:Stupid Question by Nos. · 2004-09-09 15:03 · Score: 5, Informative

There's a good article here about what exactly makes up a moon. I can tell you its not about gravity since basically every object with mass has gravity.
Re:Stupid Question by rokzy · 2004-09-09 15:04 · Score: 4, Informative

argh! EVERYthing with mass has its own gravitational field. fuckingdictionaryit
Re:Stupid Question by AresTheImpaler · 2004-09-09 15:05 · Score: 4, Insightful

I might be wrong, but I think the "moon" is the name of the natural satallite that orbits the earth. Now, what is a satallite.. acording to the Merriam-Webster dictionary (online), it says:
a celestial body orbiting another of larger size
F-ring by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-09 15:05 · Score: 4, Funny

We have the F-ring. Now let's work on the G-spot ;0
Stupid Answer by Timesprout · 2004-09-09 15:06 · Score: 4, Funny

Moon n.

Large body made out of cheese which cows like to jump over.

--
Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
What truth?
There is no dupe
Re:Stupid Question by rokzy · 2004-09-09 15:08 · Score: 5, Informative

"satellite" means orbiting a planet.
"moon" means natural satellite.
"Moon" means Earth's moon.
Previously-unseen objects out by Saturn??? by phillymjs · 2004-09-09 15:14 · Score: 5, Funny

Oh, no! It's all coming true!

~Philly
a new ring around Saturn? wow! by Tumbleweed · 2004-09-09 15:29 · Score: 4, Funny

That reminds me - I found a new tree in the forest yesterday.

I think I'll name it 'George.'
Asimov's view... by interactive_civilian · 2004-09-09 16:00 · Score: 5, Insightful

I prefer the idea which Asimov put out in Foundation and Earth: Only the Earth's satellite is called "Moon". Everything else is either referred to by name or as a satellite of [planet].
This seems good to me. Just call our satellite the Moon, call Mars's satellites Phobos and Deimos(sp?), Jupiter's Io, Europa, etc, and so on, and anything without a name or newly discovered can simply be called satellite.

--
"Empathise with stupidity, and you're halfway to thinking like an idiot." - Iain M. Banks
1. Re:Asimov's view... by slittle · 2004-09-09 17:35 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  ^^ what he said.
  
  And don't forget the Sun, which is also a sun.
  
  Or you can call Earth, Terra (making us Terrans, w00t!), Terra's moon, Luna, and Terra's star Sol.
  
  Clear as mud?
  
  --
  Opportunity knocks. Karma hunts you down.
2. Re:Asimov's view... by Stephen+Williams · 2004-09-10 00:09 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Terra's moon, Luna
  
  A lot of moons in the Solar System have Greek names, not Roman names. Following this convention, the Moon's name would be Selene, I think.
  
  -Stephen
Re:Stupid Question by pyrrhonist · 2004-09-09 16:02 · Score: 5, Funny

Now, what is a satallite.. acording to the Merriam-Webster dictionary (online), it says:
How the heck did you look up satellite in the dictionary and still manage to spell it wrong?

--
Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
Theorists Might be Right by CheshireCatCO · 2004-09-09 16:17 · Score: 4, Informative

Theorists have posited the existance of small moons (~5 km) inside the F ring for some time. They could explain the odd look and behavior of the F ring, although they are not the only possibility. If these new objects are moons and not temporarly clumps of ring material, it will be interesting to see how the models and data agree (or don't agree).
*Earth* is gonna have a ring... by tajmorton · 2004-09-09 16:34 · Score: 5, Insightful

Earth is going to have a ring of space crap around it in a few years...

In other news...AOL announced a plan to send thousands of free hours into space. They will be delivered by sending up junk in the shuttle @ 1.5M a launch.

--
Tell the truth and you won't have so much to remember.
Change it by prelelat · 2004-09-09 16:37 · Score: 5, Funny

well then how come slashdot hasn't changed the icon that goes with the space stories. I won't believe theirs anouther ring until that happens.
To quote Futurama... by TheOtherAgentM · 2004-09-09 16:42 · Score: 4, Funny

Fry: "As long as you don't make me smell Uranus." Leela: "Huh? I don't get it?" Dr. Farnsworth: "Fry, they changed the name of the planet in 2620 to end that stupid joke once and for all." Fry: "What's it called now?" Dr. Farnsworth: "Urectum!:
Re:Stupid Question by Atrax · 2004-09-09 17:24 · Score: 4, Funny

No no. you're clearly wrong. The Moon is entirely stationary - the rest of the Universe just orbits it in a way that makes it appear to rotate.

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Screw you all! I'm off to the pub
More sinister however..... by trellick · 2004-09-09 18:18 · Score: 5, Funny

Personally I think conspiracy theorists will be far more concerned because this article simply comes 'from the dept'..nothing more....

THE dept!!! Scary....

Who are they!? What is their agenda!?