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'Ring Rain' Quenches Saturn's Atmosphere

Posted by Soulskill on from the can-i-borrow-somebody's-spaceship dept.

astroengine writes "Saturn's rings rain charged water particles down onto the gas giant's atmosphere, causing measurable changes in the planet's ionosphere. This intriguing conclusion comes from astronomers using the W. M. Keck Observatory atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii that observed dark bands forming in Saturn's ionosphere. 'Saturn is the first planet to show significant interaction between its atmosphere and ring system,' said James O'Donoghue, postgraduate researcher at the University of Leicester and lead author of a paper to appear this week in the journal Nature. 'The main effect of ring rain is that it acts to 'quench' the ionosphere of Saturn, severely reducing the electron densities in regions in which it falls.'"

30 comments

  1. Rings of Power by OlRickDawson · · Score: 1

    Wow, so they really are Rings of Power.

    --
    Ol' Rick Dawson had a farm EIEIO
    1. Re:Rings of Power by gstoddart · · Score: 1

      Wow, so they really are Rings of Power.

      Well, Rings of Quenching the Ionosphere at least, not sure that translates into 'power' in the sense you mean. ;-)

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    2. Re:Rings of Power by OlRickDawson · · Score: 1

      Actually, I was thinking of both the 'Rings of Power' and electrical power, since it rains down 'charged' particles that affect the electron density of the ionosphere.

      --
      Ol' Rick Dawson had a farm EIEIO
    3. Re:Rings of Power by gstoddart · · Score: 1

      I was hoping I could make a Ring of Ionospheric Quenching in Skyrim, but I'm not sure what it would do. ;-)

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    4. Re:Rings of Power by rts008 · · Score: 1

      Maybe the ring could provide resistance to 'storm'/electric attacks?

      Have the ring inhibit storm attacks within a radius of the ring?

      Those are just off the top of my head.....

      --
      Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
    5. Re:Rings of Power by cffrost · · Score: 1

      Actually, I was thinking of both the 'Rings of Power' and electrical power, since it rains down 'charged' particles that affect the electron density of the ionosphere.

      Your post reminded me of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelvin_water_dropper

      --
      Thank you, Edward Snowden.

      "Arguments from authority are worthless." —Carl Sagan
    6. Re:Rings of Power by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lightning resist.

    7. Re:Rings of Power by gstoddart · · Score: 1

      LOL, gotta love Slashdot ... if the joke is geeky enough, someone will respond to it seriously. ;-)

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  2. What, the environment? by DavidClarkeHR · · Score: 1

    As I've always said, those other planets are so left of center, they don't even self-regulate properly. At least we kicked out that lazy, good for nothing "planet" on the edge of our solar system. All I'm saying is that it's a good thing we live on earth, where the environment never changes due to the interference of outside sources.

    Now excuse me, I have to get back to writing my Glenn Beck / Pat Robertson totally-not-erotic buddy cop fan fiction.

    --
    - Nec Impar Pluribus, or so I'm told.
  3. Ring rain go away and by stevegee58 · · Score: 1

    and, aw shit I can't think of a good rhyme with away.

    1. Re:Ring rain go away and by Ogi_UnixNut · · Score: 1

      ...and come back some other day?

      Hey, I tried :)

  4. Ring Rain? by DougOtto · · Score: 1

    Isn't that a Peter Gabriel song?

    --
    Solving Unix problems since 1989...
  5. To be expected? by Sean_Inconsequential · · Score: 1

    'Saturn is the first planet to show significant interaction between its atmosphere and ring system.'

    I mean, wouldn't you expect the Saturn system to be the first place you would find something like that?

    1. Re: To be expected? by Gilmoure · · Score: 2

      There are rings around Uranus.

      --
      I drank what? -- Socrates
    2. Re: To be expected? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 0

      Yeah, but the doctor said... oh, write your own punchline.

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    3. Re: To be expected? by jkflying · · Score: 0

      Did he?

      --
      Help I am stuck in a signature factory!
    4. Re: To be expected? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 1

      Nope, normal sized.

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    5. Re:To be expected? by pro_astronomer · · Score: 2

      To be honest, we really didn't expect to find it at any of the planets. It was proposed as a theory, with some evidence, at the time of Voyager, but has been relatively ignored since that time. Certainly, we would have looked for this effect at Saturn, if we'd thought it was a likely process, but in addition, the H3+ emission we measured in the paper is very weak. The first detection on the body of the planet was only last year, and it was only though the use of Keck, with its giant bucket-like collecting capabilities, that we were able to get a strong enough signal that we could even attempt to measure this effect.

    6. Re: To be expected? by pro_astronomer · · Score: 1

      We are certainly measuring emission from Uranus, but it is so far away, that it's difficult to get enough signal to say much of anything about the ionospheric variability. It would certainly be interesting to attempt to look at whether this would have an effect at Uranus. The Uranian rings are much less massive, though, so I tend to believe the effect would be less pronounced too.

    7. Re:To be expected? by cusco · · Score: 1

      Jupiter's vicinity has the nastiest radiation of any planet in the solar system, far worse than Saturn's. Does this help to explain why there's such a large difference?

      --
      "Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
    8. Re:To be expected? by pro_astronomer · · Score: 1

      The presence of the rings could certainly have a dampening effect on the radiation belts at Saturn, when compared with Jupiter. Interestingly, I'm currently working on a study that attempts to measure the effect of the radiation belt of Jupiter on the ionosphere - it has been invoked numerous times to explain increased emission towards the equator, but my recent studies of the nightside of the planet have suggested its effect is limited.

  6. Re:Semi-auto weapons by Hunter+Shoptaw · · Score: 0

    Yes, some people do. No, this uneducated, ill conceived rant does not belong here, you idiotic, flamebaiting troll.

  7. Rain in a vacuum? by AndyKron · · Score: 0

    Rain in a vacuum? I did not RTFA, so fuck me.

  8. More evidence of electric universe? by trout007 · · Score: 0

    Check out this electric explanation of Saturn's moon's "gysers".

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia3_VsEAvk8

    --
    I love Jesus, except for his foreign policy.
    1. Re:More evidence of electric universe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That was fascinating, thanka for the link! :)

  9. Re:Semi-auto weapons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Pussy, where did you go?

    Why are socialists so determined to leave victims defenseless? Ever think about that? Do you think a criminal cares about a background check? A magazine restriction?

    You think everyone the government wants to have a badge and a gun is a saint huh? You trust them with your lives?

    http://www.firearmsandliberty.com/kasler-protection.html

    Pussy, we know you have nothing to back up your argument but false feelgood propoganda and statist slogans. Well fuck off I have this thing we call the Constitution.

  10. Re:Semi-auto weapons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    C'mon pussy, go and tell these criminals they aren't supposed to have guns.

    http://wgntv.com/2013/04/10/logan-square-armed-robbery-caught-on-video/

    The police aren't going to do it.

    YOU do it and do it now or you are a pussy.

    I thought so.