Weighing Saturn’s Rings with Hidden Waves

October 28th, 2015

A new analysis of Cassini VIMS occultation data has revealed spiral structures in Saturn’s B ring generated by tiny tugs on the ring material from Saturn’s various moons. The rings’ response to these forces depends on their mass.

These measurements reveal that Saturn’s rings probably contain less material than Saturn’s moon Mimas, and far less than had been anticipated.

Credit: Phil Nicholson & Matt Tiscareno