Kepler May Uncover Numerous Ring Worlds

astroengine writes "According to a new publication, NASA's Kepler exoplanet-hunting space telescope may soon start discovering Saturn-like ringed alien worlds. So far, none have been positively identified, as Kepler has only detected exoplanets orbiting close to their parent stars; if these exoplanets have rings, they are most likely to have rings facing edge-on to their orbits, making them nearly impossible to detect. As more distant-orbiting exoplanets are detected, there's more likelihood ringed worlds will be tilted, allowing Kepler to see them."

Comments

I am disappoint

[sqrt(2)]

I was hoping it meant Niven-like ringworlds, not saturn-like. Still cool though.

Re:I am disappoint

[Anonymous Coward]

Yup, would it have been so tough to say "Ringed worlds"?

Re:I am disappoint

[Anonymous Coward]

I want to poke the author of that title in the eye.

I can't seem to find info on how long-lived

[Maritz]

Ring systems like Saturn's are likely to last. I seem to recall reading some opinion that they might only persist for a few hundred million years as opposed to billions of years, meaning we might be quite lucky to see them. If Kepler is indeed able to detect enough of them to build up a statistical picture then we might get a better idea of how long-lived such systems tend to be in general. Some of Saturn's rings are quite obviously kept more stable by so called 'shepherd' moons that also maintain the little gaps or grooves between rings...