Saturn Rings Have Own Atmosphere

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zavvy

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<b>Saturn Rings Have Own Atmosphere </b><br /><br />LINK<br /><br />Saturn's vast and majestic ring system has its own atmosphere - separate from that of the planet itself, according to data from the Cassini spacecraft. <br /><br />And Saturn is rotating seven minutes more slowly than when probes measured its spin in the 70s and 80s - an observation experts cannot yet explain. <br /><br />Cassini-Huygens mission scientists are celebrating the spacecraft's first year in orbit around the ringed planet. <br /><br />Details were unveiled at the British Festival of Space 2005 in Birmingham. <br /><br />By making close flybys of the ring system, Cassini has been able to determine that the atmosphere around the rings is composed principally of molecular oxygen (O2). <br /><br />Welcome confirmation <br /><br />The finding was made by two experiments on Cassini: the Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) and Cassini Plasma Science (Caps) instrument. <br /><br />"The INMS sees the neutral oxygen gas, Caps sees the ionised products of that oxygen and the electrons associated with it. There is an enhancement over the rings," said Dr Andrew Coates, co-investigator for the Caps instrument, told the BBC News website. <br /><br />Dr Coates, from the Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL) at University College London, said the atmosphere was very similar to that of Jupiter's moons Europa and Ganymede. <br /><br />"As water comes off the rings, the hydrogen is lost from it, leaving the oxygen," he explained. <br /><br />Saturn's rings consist largely of water ice mixed with smaller amounts of rocky matter. Dr Coates said the ring atmosphere was probably kept in check by gravitational forces and a balance between loss of material from the ring system and a resupply of material from elsewhere. <br /><br />Scientists admitted they were surprised by the finding that Saturn's rotation is slowing. <br /><br />"The rotation seems to
 
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aaron38

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Is there a better, more descriptive word than atmosphere that can be used for situations like this?<br /><br />The term Atmosphere gives the impression of a very substantial volume of gas exerting real pressure.<br /><br />I'm not sure a few atoms of oxygen floating aroung really qualifies. I'm sure the pressure is still nearly a perfect vacume.<br /><br />Maybe there isn't a better word. I'm not coming up with anything myself.
 
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tom_hobbes

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But that rotational slowdown is a kicker isn't it!? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#339966"> I wish I could remember<br /> But my selective memory<br /> Won't let me</font><font size="2" color="#99cc00"> </font><font size="3" color="#339966"><font size="2">- </font></font><font size="1" color="#339966">Mark Oliver Everett</font></p><p> </p> </div>
 
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