Week in Geek - Evolution of Saturn
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
My weekly post for The Rachel Maddow Show.
Week in Geek: Evolution of Saturn edition
The formation of the solar system is still a very open question in astronomy. Some things we understand, some things we don’t. New work by astronomers proposes that Saturn’s rings and moons may have formed billions of years after the Sun burst into light and Saturn and its brethren took shape.
Saturn’s rings were first discovered by Galileo in 1610, but the first moon wasn’t detected until 1655, when Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens took advantage of advances in telescope technology to study the planet in more detail. It was originally assumed that the rings (and moons) formed simultaneously (astronomically speaking) along with the entire solar system. However, evidence to the contrary is now being found.
Also features: alligators, libraries of dead plants, and how to listen to records through your teeth.
Read the full article here.
