Saturn’s upper atmosphere is being heated by its extensive ring system, says recent studies. Throughout the history of the solar system, the occurrence has never been observed. It’s an unusual interplay between the planet and its rings that may offer a method for foretelling if planets surrounding other stars also have magnificent ring systems similar to Saturn’s. The information was kept out of sight for forty years.
The ability to put it all together within a year, however, required the experience of a seasoned astronomer who used observations of Saturn from the now-retired Cassini probe, the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the International Ultraviolet Explorer project.
Saturn’s Atmosphere: Spectral Line of Hot Hydrogen Points to Overabundance of UV Light
The massive ring system of Saturn is heating the gas giant’s upper atmosphere, an unanticipated interaction between the planet and its rings, according to observations from these spacecraft. According to NASA, the finding might help astronomers determine whether planets surrounding other stars have magnificent ring systems similar to Saturn’s.
A spectral line of hot hydrogen in Saturn’s atmosphere can be recognised as the telltale sign of an overabundance of UV light. The increase in radiation indicates that the upper atmosphere is being contaminated and heated from the outside.
The most likely reason for this heating is frozen ring particles that are showering down upon the planet’s atmosphere. Micrometeorite impact, solar wind particle bombardment, solar UV radiation, or electromagnetic forces scooping up electrically charged dust could all be contributing factors. All of this takes place as a result of particles being drawn into Saturn’s planet by its gravitational field. It was determined that many particles are entering Saturn’s atmosphere from the rings when NASA’s Cassini spacecraft entered Saturn‘s atmosphere near the end of its mission in 2017.
The nagging question, though, was whether the data could all be illusions or whether they actually represented a real phenomena on Saturn. Ben-choice Jaffel’s to use observations from Hubble’s Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph was crucial for putting the jigsaw puzzle together (STIS). The four other satellite missions that have viewed the planet had their archived UV data calibrated using its precise observations of Saturn. He contrasted the dispersion of light from several space missions and equipment with the STIS UV measurements of the planet.
“At certain latitudes, ring particles cascade into the atmosphere and power everything. They alter the upper atmosphere’s makeup and “Ben-Jaffel remarked. Then there are collisional reactions with air gases, which are likely causing the atmosphere to warm up at a particular height, he added.
The most likely explanation, according to the paper, is that heating is caused by frozen ring particles that are showering down onto planet’s atmosphere. The impact of micrometeorites, bombardments with solar wind particles, solar UV light, or electromagnetic forces capturing electrically charged dust are a few of the potential causes of this particle shower. In addition, particles are being drawn into the planet by Saturn’s gravitational field.
This ring characterizing effect on a planet’s upper atmosphere is just getting started. We eventually hope to have a global strategy that will produce a true signal of the atmospheres of other planets. Seeking to apply it to planets orbiting other stars is one of the objectives of this research. Hubble’s new findings will be a beginning for more “exo-ring search”.
Read more on : https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2023/hubble-finds-saturns-rings-heating-its-atmosphere
