Saturn’s Vertical Ring Structures

Strange Vertical structures at the edge of Saturn’s B Ring – Image PA11668. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

Saturn’s rings at first glance appear to be highly ordered, but on closer inspection there is some very interesting phenomena happening, like the raised structures pictured above. Saturn’s main rings span 160,000km in diameter, yet are composed of mainly small ice particles and are just 10m to 1km thick. The vertical structures are several km high and are thought to form from small embedded moons that push material out of the ring plane. A wider view of this structure can be seen below (I have boxed in the area of interest).

Wider view of Saturn’s B Ring and Vertical structures – Image PA11669. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

References:

1. PIA11668: The Tallest Peaks. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA11668

2. Saturn: Rings. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/saturn/rings