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You are here: Home / Space / Why Are There Gaps Between the Rings Around Saturn and What Are the Divisions In the Ring System Called?

Why Are There Gaps Between the Rings Around Saturn and What Are the Divisions In the Ring System Called?

May 24, 2020 by Karen Hill

The two most prominent divisions in Saturn’s ring system are the Cassini division and the Encke division, named after their discoverers.

The Cassini division extends for 2,100 miles (3,360 km) between rings A and B. The 200-mile (320-km) Encke division lies within ring A.

These divisions appear to be gaps between rings, allowing us to see through to the planet’s surface, but they really have small ringlets of their own.

Some of the ringlets within the divisions, however, orbit Saturn eccentrically.

The cause of the Cassini division, the gap between Saturn’s B and A rings, is not well understood.

One theory is that the syncopation of the ring particles’ orbits and the orbit of the moon Mimas causes the particles to settle in ring A or B, but to leave the division clear.

Related Facts

  • Which Rings Around the Planet Saturn Are the Most Prominent and What Is the Biggest Ring Around Saturn Called?
  • How Do Saturn’s Planetary Rings Orbit Saturn and Which Of Saturn’s Rings Revolve Around the Planet the Fastest?
  • Who discovered the Distance from the Earth to the Sun and the size of the solar system and Universe?
  • What Are the Different Types of Rings Around Saturn Called and Why Do Eccentric Rings Have Elliptical Orbits?
  • How Many Rings Does Saturn Have and How Many of the Planetary Rings Around Saturn Have Been Identified?
  • How Large Are the Rings Around the Planet Saturn and How Far From the Surface of Saturn Do the Rings Extend?

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.

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