AST101H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Rings Of Saturn, Ring System, Liquid Hydrogen

• School: UTSG
• Department: Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Course: AST101H1
• Professor: Bryan Gaensler

Document Summary

The rotation of uranus is tipped on its side compared to the plane of other planets" rotation: jupiter"s core. Pressure from gas and liquid components compressed the liquid hydrogen into gas. Is 10 times the mass of the earth. But under extreme pressure, the core is compressed to the same size as the earth"s: planetary rings. All the jovian planets have rings but saturn"s rings are the biggest with 260000 km in diameter and 0. 1 km in thickness. Mimas, a small moon near saturn, created the huygens gap in saturn"s rings. Similarly, pan ( a small moon) created the encke gap in aturn"s rings. Moons orbit slower than inner ring particles but faster than outer ring particles. Similarly, shepherd moons create a skinny ring in between the two moons. Same principles but the two forces from two moons exclude each other -> perfect curve: rings" origin.