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Using the occultations of stars by the rings of Saturn, astronomers have been able to measure details in the ring structure to a resolution of 10 km. This is a much higher resolution than can be obtained in a conventional photo of the rings. Let’s figure out what angular resolution (in arcsec) a space telescope in Earth orbit would have to achieve to obtain equal resolution. Tiscareno, Matthew S. (2013-01-01). "Planetary Rings". In Oswalt, Terry D.; French, Linda M.; Kalas, Paul (eds.). Planets, Stars and Stellar Systems. Springer Netherlands. pp.309–375. arXiv: 1112.3305. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-5606-9_7. ISBN 9789400756052. S2CID 118494597.
There are two basic ideas of how such rings come to be. First is the breakup hypothesis, which suggests that the rings are the remains of a shattered moon. A passing comet or asteroid might have collided with the moon, breaking it into pieces. Tidal forces then pulled the fragments apart, and they dispersed into a disk. The second hypothesis, which takes the reverse perspective, suggests that the rings are made of particles that were unable to come together to form a moon in the first place. In 1610, Edward Wright created the sea ring, which mounted a universal ring dial over a magnetic compass. This permitted mariners to determine the time and magnetic variation in a single step. [4] These are also called "sundial compasses". Akinsanmi, B.; etal. (March 2020). "Can planetary rings explain the extremely low density of HIP 41378 f?". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 635: L8. arXiv: 2002.11422. Bibcode: 2020A&A...635L...8A. doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202037618. S2CID 211506047. The Latin word ‘Occasus’ on the right-hand side of the blue section means ‘sunset’. The word ‘crepusculum’ below this in the red section means ‘twilight’.Surprise! Asteroid Hosts A Two-Ring Circus Above Its Surface". Universe Today. March 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-03-30.
It was built at a time when it was believed the sun and universe revolved around the Earth, as opposed to the other way around. a b Smith, B. A.; Soderblom, L. A.; Banfield, D.; Barnet, C; Basilevsky, A. T.; Beebe, R. F.; Bollinger, K.; Boyce, J. M.; Brahic, A. (1989-12-15). "Voyager 2 at Neptune: Imaging Science Results". Science. 246 (4936): 1422–1449. Bibcode: 1989Sci...246.1422S. doi: 10.1126/science.246.4936.1422. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 17755997. S2CID 45403579. Mid 18th Century Brass Astronomical ring dial. - Gilai Collectibles" . http://www.gilai.com/product_848/Mid-18th-Century-Brass-Astronomical-ring-dial..
These 17th-century foldable rings are small armillary spheres.
NASA - Saturn's Moon Rhea Also May Have Rings". Archived from the original on 2012-10-22 . Retrieved 2010-09-16. NASA– Saturn's Moon Rhea Also May Have Rings Elliot, J. L.; Dunham, E.; Mink, D. (1977-05-26). "The rings of Uranus". Nature. 267 (5609): 328–330. Bibcode: 1977Natur.267..328E. doi: 10.1038/267328a0. S2CID 4194104. The three rings are oriented with respect to the local meridian, the planet's equator, and a celestial object. The instrument itself can be used as a plumb bob to align it with the vertical. The instrument is then rotated until a single light beam passes through two points on the instrument. This fixes the orientation of the instrument in all three axes. Astronomical dial; ring-dial; sundial | British Museum" . http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=55055&partId=1.
Saturn's Rings May Be Old Timers". NASA (News Release 2007-149). December 12, 2007. Archived from the original on April 15, 2008 . Retrieved 2008-04-11. Sutton, P. J. (2019). "Mean motion resonances with nearby moons: an unlikely origin for the gaps observed in the ring around the exoplanet J1407b". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 486 (2): 1681–1689. arXiv: 1902.09285. doi: 10.1093/mnras/stz563. S2CID 119546405. Explain how the rings of Uranus and Neptune differ in composition and appearance from the rings of Saturnth century preacher Jan Hus was a man ahead of his time, preaching values similar to those embraced during the Reformation a century later.