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To: Red Badger

Why do you suppose the rings are essentially in two dimensions (a disk) rather than spherical?


8 posted on 11/10/2014 11:32:41 AM PST by ChiefJayStrongbow
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To: ChiefJayStrongbow
Why do you suppose the rings are essentially in two dimensions (a disk) rather than spherical?

Because they are revolving around the proto-sun. As the Brownian motion of the particles making up the interstellar cloud is organized, they begin to rotate. This is the same reason the water in a flushed toilet rotates.

By convention, solar systems and planets rotate counter-clockwise (there are exceptions). The galaxy rotates clockwise. This has to do with the conservation of angular momentum.

IIRC - The rings of Saturn are only about 30m thick. The thickness of the asteroid belt is harder to nail down as their orbits vary greatly. Asteroids are spread very thinly. Half the mass of the asteroid belt is contained in just four asteroids.

Hope this helps.

"Ceterum censeo 0bama esse delendam."

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)

LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

12 posted on 11/10/2014 11:55:22 AM PST by LonePalm (Commander and Chef)
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To: ChiefJayStrongbow

Gravity well...........


13 posted on 11/10/2014 12:10:24 PM PST by Red Badger (If you compromise with evil, you just get more evil..........................)
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To: ChiefJayStrongbow

Conservation of angular momentum


14 posted on 11/10/2014 1:45:35 PM PST by lagrange point1 (Space is no longer the final frontier)
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