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Saturn's Rings May Be Very Old

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the even-older-than-bob dept.

Kristina from Science News writes "Combining computer simulations with data about the way starlight shines through Saturn's rings suggests the individual grains are big and thus could have been around a good 4 billion years, not the mere 10 million to 100 million previously suspected. What may have thrown earlier observations off is the chance that the grains aren't evenly distributed, but clump here and spread out there."

27 of 125 comments (clear)

  1. That's not too surprising by moderatorrater · · Score: 3, Funny

    Saturn was more faithful than Zeus in the mythology, it makes sense that it would have had its ring for a while.

    1. Re:That's not too surprising by Plutonite · · Score: 2, Funny

      In any case, we now know Saturn's rings were there a good couple of years before the republican candidate, at least.

    2. Re:That's not too surprising by megamerican · · Score: 2, Funny

      Saturn was more faithful than Zeus in the mythology, it makes sense that it would have had its ring for a while.

      To be fair, it is easy to be faithful when you have 1000's of wives.

      --
      If you have something that you dont want anyone to know, maybe you shouldnt be doing it in the first place -Eric Schmidt
    3. Re:That's not too surprising by flydude18 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hey, if your wife was a bitch like Hera, you too would get wasted and go around taking various forms and impregnating mortal women, so don't judge.

    4. Re:That's not too surprising by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 2, Funny

      It was a multicultural joke.

      --
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    5. Re:That's not too surprising by not+already+in+use · · Score: 5, Funny

      Mortal women are easy.

      --
      Similes are like metaphors
    6. Re:That's not too surprising by rickkas7 · · Score: 3, Funny

      You're mixing your contractions and possessives, so maybe you could call it even?

    7. Re:That's not too surprising by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Thank's for pointing that out. That always bug's me.

    8. Re:That's not too surprising by flyingsquid · · Score: 2, Funny
      In any case, we now know Saturn's rings were there a good couple of years before the republican candidate, at least.

      Indeed, Saturn's rings are ancient. Perhaps as old as 6,000 years (according to Sarah Palin)!

  2. Uranus! by orkim · · Score: 3, Funny

    Uranus jokes in: 3, 2, 1...

    1. Re:Uranus! by jollyreaper · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm not concerned about rings around Saturn, far more worrisome are the rings around Uranus.

      --
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      Sell the spice to CHOAM
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    2. Re:Uranus! by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't be ridiculous, scientists finally changed the name to end that stupid joke, once and for all.

      --
      Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
    3. Re:Uranus! by orkim · · Score: 2, Funny

      This just in. Saturn's rimjob is as old as Uranus!

    4. Re:Uranus! by jemtallon · · Score: 4, Funny

      Oh. What's it called now?

    5. Re:Uranus! by Ambitwistor · · Score: 4, Funny

      Urectum.

    6. Re:Uranus! by jemtallon · · Score: 5, Funny

      http://www.instantrimshot.com/

    7. Re:Uranus! by Hognoxious · · Score: 4, Funny

      Was that pun intentional?

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      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    8. Re:Uranus! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      I had no idea slashdot had people who were geeks and metrosexual at the same time

    9. Re:Uranus! by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · · Score: 3, Funny

      Attn Mods: This thread is ripe with puns about Anuses. Out of all of the threads ever on slashdot, this might be one someone might post a Goatse link out of Irony. And, it might be ironic, but I still don't want to see it.

      --
      Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
  3. age of cosmos by floatingrunner · · Score: 1, Funny

    this just in, scientists also found out that the solar system might also very old

  4. Just Well Preserved by MaxwellEdison · · Score: 2, Funny

    They're very old, astronomers just didn't realize it because they were stored in mothballs

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    -=Bang Bang=-
  5. One Ring to bind them all by Cigamit · · Score: 1, Funny

    Of course the are old, they were forged by the Dark Lord Sauron before his conquest of middle earth. After attempting to bind the planets to his will and failing, he figured pesky little dwarfs, elves, and humans would be a bit easier.

  6. Re:In other news... by Hognoxious · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... but only during the day.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  7. Re:Clumping by TwoScoopsOfPig · · Score: 2, Funny

    Kitty litter is more what you're looking for.

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    #include <beer.h>
  8. Summary/Article wrong. by hxftw · · Score: 2, Funny

    Clearly they mean 6000 years?

    --
    Just because an idea is popular doesn't make it right.
  9. Re:Roger Ebert's explanation: by More_Cowbell · · Score: 2, Funny
    Not quite.

    I'm not sure if that was a joke or a troll, but he really does say they are 10,000 years old

    --
    Experience teaches only the teachable. -AH
  10. rings older than the universe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    They can't be more thsn 6000 years old.