Scientists once thought Saturn’s rings were millions of years old. However, Japanese researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo conducted a study that shows Saturn’s rings may be 4.5 billion years old, which is as ancient as the planet itself!
In 1997, NASA launched a Cassini spacecraft to take close-up pictures of Saturn, according to BBC News. The spacecraft’s images reveal that Saturn’s rings were around 400 million years old.
A study published by the Institute of Science Tokyo on December 17, 2024 uses computer modelling to suggest that Saturn’s rings may be much older than scientists originally thought.
In addition, BBC News reports that the reason why “Saturn’s rings look in such good condition is not because they are young, but because they are resistant to pollution.”
According to NASA, Saturn’s rings are mostly made of billions of tiny particles of water, ice, and dust. They are “thought to be pieces of comets, asteroids, or shattered moons that broke up before they reached the planet.”
In March 2025, Saturn’s rings are predicted to “disappear” from Earth’s view of the night sky. Due to Saturn’s tilt, the rings will be a nearly invisible line around the planet.
Don’t fret though—at the end of 2025, the rings will be visible again when Saturn tilts towards Earth.
Sources: