If Saturn’s rings were 3 feet long, they would be 10,000 times thinner than a razor blade.

 

If Saturn’s rings were 3 feet long, they would be 10,000 times thinner than a razor blade.

The rings around Saturn are so thin because they are made up of pieces of dusty water ice ranging in size from dust grains to boulders.Note:

 A version of this article originally appeared on my Google Plus page, but rumor has it G+ may be going the way of phlogiston and N-rays. I didn’t want to lose this article, since it’s one of the coolest facts about our solar system, so I figured I’d update it and put it here on the blog. That way I can link to it when I talk about Saturn’s rings.

The planet Saturn is beyond question the jewel of the solar system. Its magnificent system of rings is awe-inspiring, composed of countless tiny particles of water ice, each orbiting the gas giant planet individually. Sculpted by the gravity of the planet and the orbital dances of dozens of moons, the rings are divided into a few major rings and thousands of narrower ringlets.