New observations by the international Cassini spacecraft reveal that Saturn's trademark shimmering rings, which have dazzled astronomers since Galileo's time, have dramatically changed over just the past 25 years.This could change the way we view the universe. What if the rings of Saturn were remnants of an interstellar impact that occurred a few thousand years ago? What will the rings look like in a few hundred years' time? These are just a few questions that I can muster up in this late hour.
Among the most surprising findings is that parts of Saturn's innermost ring - the D ring - have grown dimmer since the Voyager spacecraft flew by the planet in 1981, and a piece of the D ring has moved 200 kilometres inward toward Saturn.
It appears that the rings of Saturn are more dynamic than once thought, and I find this news fascinating.
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