NASA study says Saturn is losing its rings

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New NASA research confirms that Saturn is losing its rings at a rate which researchers describe as a "worst-case-scenario."

According to James O'Donoghue of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, this 'ring rain' drains enough water every 30 minutes to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

According to scientists' estimates, the rings could be completely gone in 100 million years.

Saturn's rings are mainly composed of chunks of water ice ranging in size from microscopic dust to boulders several yards in width.

Ring particles have several forces acting upon them. Saturn's gravity want to draw the particles towards the planet, while their orbital velocity wants to shoot them out towards space.

The tiny particles can also get electrically charged from the Sun or from plasma clouds.
These charged particles can also feel the pull of Saturn's magnetic field, which curves inward toward the planet at Saturn's rings.

RUNDOWN SHOWS:
1. Saturn's rings being pulled in by gravity and Saturn's magnetosphere
2. Ring rain drains enough water to fill pool, rings gone in 100 million years
3. Forces acting on ring particles
4. Charged particles interacting with magnetic field

VOICEOVER (in English):
"Using observations made by Voyager 1 and 2 decades ago, scientists say the rings are being pulled into Saturn by gravity as a dusty rain of ice particles under the influence of the planet's magnetic field."

"According to James O'Donoghue of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, this 'ring rain' drains enough water every 30 minutes to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool."

"According to scientists' estimates, the rings could be completely gone in 100 million years."

"Ring particles have several forces acting upon them. Saturn's gravity want to draw the particles towards the planet, while their orbital velocity wants to shoot them out towards space.

"The tiny particles can also get electrically charged from the Sun or from plasma clouds.
These charged particles can also feel the pull of Saturn's magnetic field, which curves inward toward the planet at Saturn's rings."


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