New rings found around Uranus (AP/CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

***
While Uranus had been known to have inner rings of neutral color, the newly discovered outer rings show color contrasts that researchers think are caused by light reflected off particles that differ in size from one ring to the other.

The outermost ring is only the second blue ring to have been observed, a team led by Imke de Pater of the University of California, Berkeley, reports in Friday's issue of the journal Science.

Also blue is Saturn's outermost ring, the researchers said. And they noted that each of the known blue rings has a moon embedded within it, while the red rings do not.

They speculated that the moons swept up larger pieces of debris, leaving only dust and tiny items that reflect more blue light than the red ring, which could have larger pieces of debris.

link: http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/04/06/rings.of.uranus.ap/index.html

[htuttle]

1. Hey, I washed. Honest!

[kitkat65]

2. And I haven't been able to sit down all day!

Ba-dump-bump!

[tocqueville]

3. ring of debris ?

notice that the red rings have have larger pieces of debris...

but what you could you expect ?

[baby_mouse]

4. He said he was circumcised!

um...

walks away slowly

[ClintonTyree]

5. Isn't that the definition of, "Santorum".

:shrug:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

18. There's Santorum around Uranus?

Better not tell the religious right about that.

[lastknowngood]

6. How can you tell from there?

n/t

[Up2Late]

7. Those look far enough from the planet that it would be more accurate...

...to say they are around the planet's butt-cheeks. :hide:

[shain from kane]

8. "...light reflected off particles..."

Assuming that it wasn't sunlight, since that is where the sun don't shine.

[Crunchy Frog]

9. I think those blue outermost rings

may be hemorrhoids.

[tocqueville]

10. rethorical question : is any serious discussion possible on this thread ?

I bet not

but it's fun

[htuttle]

13. We could talk about the day they changed the pronounciation of 'Uranus'

I remember that day. The last time I heard the word pronounced 'yur-Anus' on television was back in the 80's. Peter Jennings (IIRC) had just heard himself say, "NASA's probe is approaching your anus".

There was a long pause, an eyeblink or two, and then finally a commercial break.

From that day forward, "Uranus" was officially pronounced 'UR-anus'...

[eppur_se_muova]

14. I didn't actually see that...just a lot of cracks {sic} about "my what?!?"

Just for the record, I believe the best transliteration from the original Greek is "Ouranos" -- the first syllable pronounced with a long "oo" sound.

So, technically, all this could have been avoided.:)

[unpossibles]

20. yeah, but "urine-us" is almost as funny. almost

"Sometimes you find things you aren't looking for," Showalter said. "No one thought this region of Uranus was very interesting."

[trotsky]

16. I hope not!

I saw the thread title and clicked on it more out of anticipation of snarky comments than to read the actual article! :)

[OneBlueSky]

11. HEY! . . . no personal attacks, please . . . n/t

.

[400Years]

12. the red rings are tighter than the blue rings

that pretty much sums it up

[Orsino]

15. ...Delighting middle-school boys everywhere. n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

17. BBC headline: "SEVENTH PLANET has a blue ring" *snicker* nt

[warrior1]

19. I beg your pardon