"Super Saturn" was discovered, with more than 30 planetary rings, only 16 million years old but it will inevitably disappear!
The magnificent rings of Saturn have long been famous, but a newly discovered super-Saturn, J1407b, with its huge system of planetary rings, has allowed mankind to witness even more gorgeous spectacles. What kind of mysteries will this "Lord of the Rings" uncover 434 light-years from Earth?
Saturn's graceful and smooth rings have left a deep impression on human hearts. It was once hailed as the most beautiful planet in the solar system. However, in 2012, astronomers discovered an unimaginable "super-Saturn" J1407b in the distant constellation Sagittarius. It has a huge system of planetary rings with a diameter of 180 million kilometers and about 200 times the rings of Saturn, and it emits a breathtaking halo every second.
Along with the discovery of this miracle, questions about its origin and fate also arise. What mysteries will this 16-million-year-old "baby planet" with more than 30 intertwined complex planetary rings reveal to mankind? Does its huge body also contain the possibility of giving birth to new life? What kind of growth and changes will it undergo in this vast universe?
At present, there are two theories about the formation mechanism of the J1407b planetary rings: one is that there was a violent collision that threw the material on the planet's surface to form a ring system, and the other is similar to Saturn, which tore up passing asteroids and comets through gravity, and finally generated such a perfect ring.
Although the composition is still unknown, scientists have deduced from spectroscopic analysis that its rings may also contain similar substances to Saturn's rings, such as water ice, carbon dioxide and other volatile compounds. From the brightness curve, you can also observe traces of rocks and metal dust. This seems to suggest that perhaps in this wonderful world, a miracle of life similar to the earth is also being staged.
However, the gears of fate seem to turn fast. The magnificence of Super Saturn may eventually fade in the long history of the universe. It is estimated that J1407b's large and stable ring system will take about 1.1 million years to form and dissipate. Millions of years from now, these brilliant rings may thin out and eventually disappear into the universe.
But even so, it may lead to the birth of new planets. In this universe full of unknowns and possibilities, collisions, splits, and mergers between celestial bodies are both the norm and new miracles.
Perhaps, in billions of years, future generations of humanity will also have the privilege of witnessing the new life in Super Saturn flourishing. What new mysteries of the universe will they discover at that distant moment?
