A new study, published in the prestigious journal Science, reveals how the rings of Saturn were formed.&nbsp;

After getting a little too close to the gas giant, an icy moon they named Chrysalis broke up between 100-200 million years ago.

Some of its fragments broke into small icy chunks that form the planet's signature rings while most of it made an impact with Saturn.

According to the lead author of the study, Jack Wisdom, professor of planetary sciences at MIT, "It's nice to find a plausible explanation."

At the beginning of the solar system, the planet Saturn&nbsp;formed four and a half billion years ago but its rings appeared only approximately 100 million years ago.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-why-nasa-is-trying-to-send-astronauts-to-the-moon-once-again-514850" hreflang="en">In pics - Why NASA is trying to send astronauts to the moon once again</a>

After orbiting Saturn from 2004 to 2017, the Cassini probe made similar observations but the recent study has reinforced them.

Allowing them to better understand another characteristic, Wisdom and colleagues found an explanation by constructing complex mathematical models.

Although Saturn is a gas giant, it has a tilt of 26.7 degrees and one of its largest moons called Titan is migrating away from the planet.

Astronomers believe that this will impact the rate at which Saturn's axis of tilt loops around the vertical.

Creating a powerful gravitational interaction called "resonance," this wobble frequency came into sync with Neptune's wobbly orbit.

Likening the emergence of Saturn's rings to a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, the missing Moon was baptised Chrysalis by MIT's Wisdom. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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A new study, published in the prestigious journal Science, reveals how the rings of Saturn were formed. After getting a little too close to the gas giant, an icy moon they named Chrysalis broke up between 100-200 million years ago.

A new study, published in the prestigious journal Science, reveals how the rings of Saturn were formed. After getting a little too close to the gas giant, an icy moon they named Chrysalis broke up between 100-200 million years ago. Some of its fragments broke into small icy chunks that form the planet's signature rings while most of it made an impact with Saturn. According to the lead author of the study, Jack Wisdom, professor of planetary sciences at MIT, "It's nice to find a plausible explanation." At the beginning of the solar system, the planet Saturn formed four and a half billion years ago but its rings appeared only approximately 100 million years ago. In pics - Why NASA is trying to send astronauts to the moon once again After orbiting Saturn from 2004 to 2017, the Cassini probe made similar observations but the recent study has reinforced them. Allowing them to better understand another characteristic, Wisdom and colleagues found an explanation by constructing complex mathematical models. Although Saturn is a gas giant, it has a tilt of 26.7 degrees and one of its largest moons called Titan is migrating away from the planet. Astronomers believe that this will impact the rate at which Saturn's axis of tilt loops around the vertical. Creating a powerful gravitational interaction called "resonance," this wobble frequency came into sync with Neptune's wobbly orbit. Likening the emergence of Saturn's rings to a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, the missing Moon was baptised Chrysalis by MIT's Wisdom. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: ×

Study reveals how rings of Saturn were formed

A new research has revealed that an ice moon on Saturn could be a 'stealth' ocean world hospitable to life.

The study, published in the journal Icarus, states that Saturn's innermost moon Mimas may contain a liquid internal ocean.

Saturn is now being recognised as the “moon king” of our solar system, with astronomers spotting 20 more of them orbiting the giant ringed planet, bringing its total count to 82,&nbsp;three more than Jupiter.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/in-a-first-astronomers-identify-mysterious-particles-in-primordial-soup-447255" hreflang="en">In a first, astronomers identify mysterious particles in 'primordial soup'</a>

As per the study's lead author Alyssa Rhoden, a scientist at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, "If Mimas has an ocean, it represents a new class of small, 'stealth' ocean worlds with surfaces that do not betray the ocean's existence."&nbsp;

English astronomer William Herschel had discovered Mimas, the smallest and closest to Saturn of the ringed planet's&nbsp;moons, in 1789. It resembles the Death Star from Star Wars.

"Because the surface of Mimas is heavily cratered, we thought it was just a frozen block of ice," said Rhoden, who is also the co-leader of NASA's Network for Ocean Worlds Research Coordination Network.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-discover-black-hole-that-contains-200000-times-mass-of-the-sun-buried-in-gas-443984" hreflang="en">Astronomers discover black hole that contains 200,000 times mass of the Sun buried in gas</a>

"IWOWs, such as Enceladus and Europa, tend to be fractured and show other signs of geologic activity. Turns out, Mimas' surface was tricking us, and our new understanding has greatly expanded the definition of a potentially habitable world in our solar system and beyond."

Saturn, a gas giant made up mostly of hydrogen and helium, is the second-largest planet in the solar system and the sixth from the sun. Its diameter of about 72,000 miles (116,000 km) dwarf’s Earth diameter of about 7,900 miles (12,700 km).

Only Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, is larger. Saturn formed with the other planets and the sun about 4.5 billion years ago.

"Evaluating Mimas' status as an ocean moon would benchmark models of its formation and evolution," Rhoden said.

"This would help us better understand Saturn's rings and mid-sized moons as well as the prevalence of potentially habitable ocean moons, particularly at Uranus. Mimas is a compelling target for continued investigation."

(With inputs from agencies)

A new research has revealed that an ice moon on Saturn could be a 'stealth' ocean world hospitable to life. The study, published in the journal Icarus, states that Saturn's innermost moon Mimas may contain a liquid internal ocean.

A new research has revealed that an ice moon on Saturn could be a 'stealth' ocean world hospitable to life. The study, published in the journal Icarus, states that Saturn's innermost moon Mimas may contain a liquid internal ocean. Saturn is now being recognised as the “moon king” of our solar system, with astronomers spotting 20 more of them orbiting the giant ringed planet, bringing its total count to 82, three more than Jupiter. Also read | In a first, astronomers identify mysterious particles in 'primordial soup' As per the study's lead author Alyssa Rhoden, a scientist at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, "If Mimas has an ocean, it represents a new class of small, 'stealth' ocean worlds with surfaces that do not betray the ocean's existence." English astronomer William Herschel had discovered Mimas, the smallest and closest to Saturn of the ringed planet's moons, in 1789. It resembles the Death Star from Star Wars. "Because the surface of Mimas is heavily cratered, we thought it was just a frozen block of ice," said Rhoden, who is also the co-leader of NASA's Network for Ocean Worlds Research Coordination Network. Also read | Astronomers discover black hole that contains 200,000 times mass of the Sun buried in gas "IWOWs, such as Enceladus and Europa, tend to be fractured and show other signs of geologic activity. Turns out, Mimas' surface was tricking us, and our new understanding has greatly expanded the definition of a potentially habitable world in our solar system and beyond." Saturn, a gas giant made up mostly of hydrogen and helium, is the second-largest planet in the solar system and the sixth from the sun. Its diameter of about 72,000 miles (116,000 km) dwarf’s Earth diameter of about 7,900 miles (12,700 km). Only Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, is larger. Saturn formed with the other planets and the sun about 4.5 billion years ago. "Evaluating Mimas' status as an ocean moon would benchmark models of its formation and evolution," Rhoden said. "This would help us better understand Saturn's rings and mid-sized moons as well as the prevalence of potentially habitable ocean moons, particularly at Uranus. Mimas is a compelling target for continued investigation." (With inputs from agencies)

This ice moon, which resembles the Death Star from Star Wars, could be hospitable to life

The solar system's two biggest planets, Jupiter and Saturn, came within planetary kissing range in Monday's evening sky, an intimacy that will not occur again until 2080.

Jupiter, Saturn forms the great conjuction in a rare cosmic event

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Study reveals how rings of Saturn were formed

This ice moon, which resembles the Death Star from Star Wars, could be hospitable to life

Jupiter, Saturn forms the great conjuction in a rare cosmic event