Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Blue Ring Around Uranus

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the too-many-hours-looking-through-a-telescope dept.

ZedNaught writes "The BBC is reporting that 'astronomers have discovered that the planet Uranus has a blue ring - only the second found in the Solar System. Like the blue ring of Saturn, it probably owes its existence to an accompanying small moon.' According to the April issue of Science, the blue ring is one of two new outer rings recently discovered around Uranus using the infrared Keck adaptive optics system. The rings are blue and red like Saturn's E and G rings. The blue ring around Saturn hosts the moon Enceladus while the Uranus ring contains the moon Mab."

16 of 269 comments (clear)

  1. man... by eclectic4 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I should get that checked out....

    --

    "The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge." - Daniel Boorstin
    1. Re:man... by swingkid · · Score: 5, Funny

      I can't wait until 2620 so I don't have to hear Uranus jokes anymore.

    2. Re:man... by springbox · · Score: 5, Funny

      Then the Urectum jokes will commence!

    3. Re:man... by saforrest · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think the Farkers have already made every possible anus joke.

      I think that statement was true even before this latest news came out.

    4. Re:man... by Brett+Johnson · · Score: 5, Funny

      Actually, they had already found a red ring:

      "... the blue ring is one of two new outer rings recently discovered around Uranus using the infrared Keck adaptive optics system. The rings are blue and red like Saturn's E and G rings."

      I would love to have been the astronomer that got to stand up in front of a conference room full of scientists and said:
      "We have found a red ring around Uranus..." [Room erupts in laughter.]

  2. If ever.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    If ever there were a topic begging for a goatse post, this is it.

    1. Re:If ever.. by ettlz · · Score: 5, Funny

      It shows you how old and Slashdot-wise you have become when the first thing that pops into your head on mention of "Uranus" and "ring" is hello.jpg.

  3. and in other news...... by PsychoElf · · Score: 5, Funny

    In other news, Uranus has filed suit against Neptune for making it pick up the soap, which Pluto clearly dropped.

  4. Does that mean... by msauve · · Score: 4, Funny

    we've found the proverbial "blue moon?"

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
  5. Not to make matters worse, but... by Progman3K · · Score: 4, Funny

    How is NASA going to pitch the missions?

    The Uranus Probes?

    I'd hate to be the mission-director for that one...

    --
    I don't know the meaning of the word 'don't' - J
  6. Re:Come on now! by slizz · · Score: 5, Funny

    what's the same about star trek and toilet paper? they both circle uranus searching for klingons!

  7. Oh Christ alive.. by Davey+McDave · · Score: 4, Funny

    Every single Slashdotter who thinks they're hilarious will inevitably make their way down the comments, groan that they weren't the first to the joke, and then attempt to make one anyway.. ... the thought clearly never crossed my mind! Ahem.

    --
    I've got the spirit, lose the feeling.
  8. Other news by TooMad · · Score: 4, Funny

    In other news the 10th 'planet' has finally been named Mykok, pronounced Mick Oak.

  9. As long as the ring is not red and itchy by melted · · Score: 4, Funny

    As long as the ring is not red and itchy, Uranus will be fine.

  10. Even the tags are in on the joke... slightly. by Tavor · · Score: 5, Funny

    "[+] uranus, science, space, astronomy, anal (tagging beta)"

    --
    Windows has detected an undetectable error.
  11. This creates a new job title at NASA by gorehog · · Score: 4, Funny

    Upon discovery of the blue ring NASA administrators immediatly began a search for an Astroproctologist.