"When first observed by Voyager, the spoke movements [of Saturn's Rings] seemed to defy gravity and had the scientists very perplexed. Since the spokes rotate at the same rate as Saturn's magnetic field, it is apparent that the electromagnetic forces are also at work." -- Ron Baalke, astrophysicist, 1998
Gravitation has nothing to do with it.
Science Daily: Wind Estimate 'Shortens' Saturn's Day By Five Minutes.
ScienceDaily (July 30, 2009) — A new way of detecting how fast large gaseous planets are rotating suggests Saturn’s day lasts 10 hours, 34 minutes and 13 seconds – over five minutes shorter than previous estimates that were based on the planet’s magnetic fields.
The research, published in the journal Nature on July 30, was carried out by an international team led by scientists from Oxford University and the University of Louisville (USA).
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14 comments:
I think the gravitational rotation causes the magnetic field. Also, there are no spokes in those rings, it's a gasseous planet not a rigid bicycle wheel.
I do not beleive anyone has ever said the spokes were solid.
And as far as scientists being wrong about Saturn. They were off by 5 minutes of rotation. It's not like they claimed Saturn was a Lobster Bisque 74,900 miles in diameter and are just now finding out that it's a hydrogen/helium gas giant (and the rings are not oyster crackers).
This is an article about fine-tuning our techniques and knowledge. This should be celebrated. Not berated.
But leave it to Oils to ridicule modern science, and by doing so praise those who thought Saturn was a god. (which is about as accurate as my lobster bisque comment)
QF,
What does gravitational rotation mean? What gravitational rotation? And if there are no spokes in those rings, then the scientists at NASA are seeing things again.
Jeffery,
It's a fact that the ancients worshipped Saturn as a god since time immemorial. Ever heard of Saturday? Therefore the gods are real because Saturn is real. It's entirely possible that Cicero was correct and that Saturn is a living organism with consciousness. After all, we observe the planets growing.
I think what QF meant was there are no solid spokes. The notion that they were of magnetic origin was postulated years ago, right after they were first seen.
Oils,
You observe planets growing. Most others do not. The fact that something is worshipped does not make it a god. Earth and the moon were grown from the hypothetical, and much argued Theia impact billions of years ago, but recently? No evidence of growth. A few weeks ago, New Zealand got closer to Australia after a big quake...not farther away. You never have presented credible evidence for expansion... like how the extra mass gets there. Something once about grass growing.... didn't make much sense, but after reading it, I was pretty sure what kind of grass you were talking about.
Therefore the gods are real because Saturn is real.
Rhetoric not your strong suite, eh?
While most of what you say about Saturn worship can't be argued with, I take issue with the assumption that worshipping something makes it a deity. It can make something "real" to someone in a subjective sense, but not real in an objective sense. Never.
I idolize many things, music, Dave Tennant, 40K stuff, my cat.... millions of people worship all sorts of things, but that doesn't make them divine.
My girlfriend worships Geoff Tate of Queensryche. Is he a god? Q.E.D.
If Saturn has an ecosystem (which it might, depending on how you define ecosystem), then perhaps there is cause to refer to it as an organism, but no evidence exists that it is "alive" in the sense that you, me, Geoff Tate and my cat are.
BTW, I look forward to the day we do find a "Living Planet!" Not only would it be the greatest discovery in the history of our world, but you could then crow about the predictive prowess of Jack Kirby.
Does the rotational period of the ring region vary with radial distances or does the ring just rotate as a single unit?
The spoke's movement along the ring suggest that their orbital speed is constant (which is why folks think they are bouyed up by magnetic forces as opposed to gravity).
The solid ice particles seem to vary in speed with distance in accordance with orbital mechanics (that is, gravity).
So, if the Low Saturn Orbit ice chunks are orbiting saturn in a faster time period than the High Saturn Orbit chunks, then that is a big clue for gravitation being at play.
As far as the spokes go, are they spiral spokes?
I can't believe this Bullshit....hope we start drilling for abiotic oil OIM.
Gas Hydrate is the future. We have a fuckton of it in the Gulf of Mexico... enough to run America for 1000 years. We just need to figure out how to get it out of the Gulf.
I really don't see any spokes on the picture of Saturn
Google them.
http://pds-rings.seti.org/saturn/voyager/saturn20.gif
Those don't even resemble spokes.
Call them "radially-aligned magnetically-levitated dust clouds" if you like.
it is a good resource
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