Saturn s rings reveal what s deep inside the planet
Saturn’s rings vibrate like a bell, so researchers can indirectly look deep inside the planet itself. Gravitational waves push seismic waves from the interior of Saturn directly into the planet’s ring system, where the Cassini spacecraft was able to see their delicate tremors. According to the latest research, much of the planet’s interior consists of clear layers. All planets hide the construction of their interior under layers difficult to penetrate. Interiors of rocky objects such as the Earth or the Moon can be studied by analyzing seismic waves emitted by earthquakes, but gas giants do not have any solid surface on which to measure such waves. Instead, researchers must use other methods, e.g., studying the planet’s magnetic field. 2004: Cassini enters the game Shortly after the Cassini spacecraft reached Saturn in 2004, researchers realized that the planet’s rings were strange oscillating. Instead of individual waves that perfectly explain existing theories, the probe spotte...