Possible origin of Saturn's mysterious G ring With data from the
Cassini spacecraft, an international team of scientists may have
identified the source of one of Saturn's more mysterious rings.
The enigmatic G ring is likely produced by relatively large, icy
particles that reside within a bright arc on the ring's inner
edge. The particles are confined within the arc by gravitational
effects from Saturn's moon Mimas. Micrometeoroids, tiny
meteoroids or particles of dust that pervade space, collide with
the icy particles, releasing smaller, dust-sized particles that
brighten the arc. Plasma, an extremely variable gas made up of
charged particles but electrically neutral, pervades the giant
planet's magnetic field. It sweeps through this arc
continuously, dragging out the fine particles, which create the
G ring. The finding is evidence of the complex interaction
between Saturn's moons, rings and magnetosphere. Studying this
interaction is one of Cassini's objectives. "Distant pictures
from the cameras tell us wh