Earth with Saturns Rings

SilverTongue · 20 Jan 2010 at 23:35

Just found this using StumbleUpon, found the video really fascinating.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2010/01/suppose_the_earth_got_saturns.html?ft=1&f=97635953

This little video boggled my mind, mostly because it is so precisely imagined. What would our sky look like, asks artist Roy Prol, if the rings of Saturn got transferred to Earth?

Gerard · 20 Jan 2010 at 23:40

I propose that earth should be modded with rings like this, it'll increase the resale value.

Looks quite nice though

Mik3 · 20 Jan 2010 at 23:41

Cool vid. In a few thousand years will will have some rings made out of space junk.

Ross1234 · 20 Jan 2010 at 23:45

Want.

VaderDSL · 20 Jan 2010 at 23:46

Mik3 said:
Cool vid. In a few thousand years will will have some rings made out of space junk.

We already have a ring of mainly communication satelites in geo stationary orbit

Andelusion · 20 Jan 2010 at 23:46

Pretty cool video, those images reminded me of what I imagine it'd be like to live on Larry Niven's Ringworld (for those who've read the books).

I imagine we'd have a lot more meteorite impacts though?

SilverTongue · 20 Jan 2010 at 23:58

I found some people comments intriguing as well for example

It's definitely within the realm of fantasy, but would Earth be a lot different if it had rings? It appears from the images that the rings would leave a significant shadow -- particularly over the tropics. Such a seasonally-affected shadow would seem to bring great cooling to those regions, impacting the global climate.

What he says makes sense, however, in the video and in the pictures of Ecuador this shadow isn't taken into account. So would it affect the climates of these regions that much?

Think about the ramifications of rings on today's society. Most likely it would be difficult to have satellites orbiting the planet - the rings would be made of dust and ice particles that would not be good for satellites. Our global system of communication satellites would probably look far different than it is now, if it would exist at all.

This is a good point as well, however, the likes of NASA would come up with different ways to solve the problem, if we even dreamed of space travel with the rings.

Imagine cave wall paintings and biblical stories inclusive of the rings; yes, this earth would be a far different place were it to have had rings through the millennia.

Just also found another blog which discusses the video in detail, well worth the read.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/21/the-rings-of-earth/

Mr.Nick · 20 Jan 2010 at 23:58

Me want now!

Hilly · 21 Jan 2010 at 00:11

Although it's very pretty to look at, I don't think any of us would be the same if we had these rings.

the moon is beautiful to look at, but as it's there all the time, it's somewhat taken for granted. If the rings were a part of the Earth, I feel they'd too be taken for granted and be somewhat of a hinderance (as per the comments above RE Satellites, communications, launches, climates) and would change what Earth would be like as we know it.

Things change I've changed · 21 Jan 2010 at 00:14

Barbara Bonney's rendition of Ave Maria is the best, good choice.

Also I agree with Hilly, people would take the rings for granted over time and would probably be a hindrance.

Greenlizard0 · 21 Jan 2010 at 00:22

Often wondered about things like this, say if we had more than one visible natural satelite, or more than one sun.

loltim · 21 Jan 2010 at 00:27

Ignore Ave Maria?

GTFO.

starfighter · 21 Jan 2010 at 00:37

Build an artificial ring around the earth? that would be sick.

mrk · 21 Jan 2010 at 00:38

Greenlizard0 said:
Often wondered about things like this, say if we had more than one visible natural satelite, or more than one sun.

2 Suns? our planet would be quite a bit larger most likely (and thus more prone to extinction level events from meteor strikes!) for one or we would be located closer to the edge of the solar system otherwise the planet would not be suitable for life to form!

It does make you think though "What if..."

Greenlizard0 · 21 Jan 2010 at 00:48

But then with two suns there may likely be less chance of a meteor strike. They'd act as a much larger gravity sink hole..(thing

).

digipeep · 21 Jan 2010 at 00:53

It that would happen you would kiss goodbye to any man made satellites being put in orbit, so no Sky television.

SilverTongue · 21 Jan 2010 at 00:59

digipeep said:
It that would happen you would kiss goodbye to any man made satellites being put in orbit, so no Sky television.

But at the same time, as said in my previous post, surely NASA or whichever space organisation existed would think of different ways around this. higher/lower orbits etc

Greenlizard0 · 21 Jan 2010 at 01:07

digipeep said:
It that would happen you would kiss goodbye to any man made satellites being put in orbit, so no Sky television.

You mean somewhere in a parallel universe there's no over enthusastic Jeff Stirling? Lucky ****s.

mrk · 21 Jan 2010 at 01:09

Greenlizard0 said:
But then with two suns there may likely be less chance of a meteor strike. They'd act as a much larger gravity sink hole..(thing ).

That would be jupiter though, 2 suns may well pull the meteors in faster slingshotting through the solar system and into us!

It's an endless number of possible outcomes though I guess.

Azagoth · 21 Jan 2010 at 01:43

Surely though, due to the immense size differential between the Earth and Saturn, if Saturn's rings were transplanted to the Earth then the rings would be way outside of the lunar orbit.

Still, it's pretty cool to see the Earth with a ring system though, now we just need to move it close into either a nebula or star cluster. Imagine living with the Pleiades in the sky or even better within naked eye viewing distance of the 'Pillars of creation'.