Saturn's Rings Research Paper

Saturn's rings, originally observed by Galileo in the 1600s, have been marveled at for centuries as the mystery behind their formation increased. It was not until 1980 when Voyager 1 flew by Saturn that a well-developed and precise image of Saturn's rings were collected. Saturn's rings were discovered to be made up of billions of particles ranging from the size of a grain of sand to the size of boulders. The rings, consisting of remains from rocky asteroids and icy comets, are about one kilometer wide. One of the most interesting parts about Saturn's rings, however, is the gaps that separate each ring from each other. The gaps were first discovered by Giovanni Cassini in 1675, who dubbed one of the largest gaps in Saturn's rings the Cassini