Burns (Cornell) et al. When you think of a planet with rings, majestic Saturn almost definitely comes to mind. But it's not the only planet in the solar system with these breathtaking bands.

For a very long time, Saturn was thought to be the only planet in our solar system with rings. The rings around Saturn were discovered by an astronomer called Galileo Galilei nearly 400 years ago.

Saturn’s rings are an arresting sight even through modest telescopes. The planet is made mostly of hydrogen and helium whereas the rings are billions of pieces of mostly bright-white water ice ...

But a new study revealed something about the planet that may help explain at least part of its weirdness: a sprawling set of rings that may actually rotate backwards around the planet. J1407b may ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Beyond our solar system, there’s a whole selection of planets ...

Beyond our solar system, there’s a whole selection of planets unlike anything we see around the Sun. In the cosmic candy shop, there are Ring Pops (less magnificent versions of Saturn), Hot Tamales ...

One clue is that Saturn’s rings sit within the Roche limit, the theoretical distance at which gravitational tidal forces from the parent planet would tear apart any ordinary moon. Indeed, that has ...

The dwarf planet Quaoar sports a ring that lies outside the orb’s Roche limit, an invisible line beyond which rings aren’t thought to be stable, Lisa Grossman reported in “This dwarf planet ...

and recent observations of the planet found a dense ring around it, but scientists can't figure how – or why – it's there. Discovered in 2002, Quaoar exists in the Kuiper Belt, a region in ...