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You are here: Home / Space / What Are the Different Types of Rings Around Saturn Called and Why Do Eccentric Rings Have Elliptical Orbits?

What Are the Different Types of Rings Around Saturn Called and Why Do Eccentric Rings Have Elliptical Orbits?

April 9, 2020 by Karen Hill

Idiosyncratic rings around the planet Saturn are rare and, for the most part, inexplicable.

They do not conform to the laws of physics as we understand them.

The primary rings, A through G, orbit Saturn in circles.

According to physics, it should be impossible for a ring to do otherwise, to have an elliptical, or oval-shaped orbit, for example.

Eccentric rings, however, have elliptical orbits.

The particles in kinky rings do not orbit in a regular pattern, but clump together and spread out irregularly, which shouldn’t be possible.

Braided rings are ringlets that seem to overlap each other in the pattern of a braid.

Again, physics should make this impossible.

The likely explanation has to do with the gravity of moons orbiting within the bands of atypical rings, but we really don’t understand how this happens.

Related Facts

  • How Do Saturn’s Planetary Rings Orbit Saturn and Which Of Saturn’s Rings Revolve Around the Planet the Fastest?
  • How Many Rings Does Saturn Have and How Many of the Planetary Rings Around Saturn Have Been Identified?
  • Which of Saturn’s Planetary Rings Are Visible From Earth and Can We Always See Saturn’s Rings From Earth?
  • How Large Are the Rings Around the Planet Saturn and How Far From the Surface of Saturn Do the Rings Extend?
  • Why Are There Gaps Between the Rings Around Saturn and What Are the Divisions In the Ring System Called?
  • What Are Saturn’s Rings Made of and How Did the Rings Around the Planet Saturn Form?

Filed Under: Space

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What Is Saturn Made of and How Is Saturn’s Composition of Hydrogen and Helium Similar To the Planet Jupiter?
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