Posted on 12/18/2018 7:29:48 PM PST by EdnaMode
Saturn's rings make it one of the most striking planets in the solar system, but scientists believe they could disappear in less than a 100 million years -- which isn't all that long when you consider that the gas giant itself is more than 4 billion years old.
New research from NASA shows that the rings, made predominantly of water ice, are being pulled apart by the planet's gravity and onto Saturn's surface as deluges of "ring rain."
"We estimate that this 'ring rain' drains an amount of water products that could fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool from Saturn's rings in half an hour," NASA's James O'Donoghue, lead author of the study, said in a statement.
"From this alone, the entire ring system will be gone in 300 million years, but add to this the Cassini-spacecraft measured ring-material detected falling into Saturn's equator, and the rings have less than 100 million years to live," he added.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
It's not "ring rain".
Aliens are stealing it.
Giorgio told me ...
Gotta be global warming
Why are we being warned?
Warns?
Isn’t that a bit dramatic?
Only 100 million years to go. Im gonna miss them.
“”From this alone, the entire ring system will be gone in 300 million years”
****
Oh no! What are we gonna do 290 million years from now then?
The good thing is this research is only costing us about $5.6 billion. /s
The good thing is this research is only costing us about $5.6 billion. /s
Not like we need a wall or anything.
L
Well, okay, scientists, if yer THAT sure.
>>but scientists believe they could disappear in less than a 100 million years
more predictions they will never be held accountable for missing...
Trump’s fault for withdrawing from the Paris agreement on climate change.
Exactly. Guess I’ll have to cancel that trip to Saturn I had planned.
<< “From this alone, the entire ring system will be gone in 300 million years, >>
As far off as that is, its still hundreds of millions of years before the Clintons and Obamas and Comeys and Muellers and Rosensteins and Brennans of the solar system will be brought to justice.
>>The good thing is this research is only costing us about $5.6 billion. /s
not far off...
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/2017/20170523-nasa-full-2018-budget-request.html
In terms of top-level dollar amounts, there are few changes from the March skinny budget. NASA’s total request of $19.1 billion remains roughly 3 percent less than what Congress approved for 2017....
...Planetary science would receive $1.93 billion. If approved, this would be the division’s highest-ever total.
Warns?
Isnt that a bit dramatic?
_____________________________________________________
It’s not for CNN. I’d say it’s about par for the course.
Yup.
Global warming. What CAN’T it do?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.