Will Earth Develop a Ring in the Future? If so, How Will That Affect Earth?

Firstly, what are planetary ring systems and where are they found?

Planetary ring systems are those round, flat, and disk-like accessories found around the giant planets in our outer solar system. These rings are actually small objects like dust and planetary remains that orbit around planets in our solar system like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Ring systems were first noticed around Saturn by Italian astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei in 1610. He didn’t know what they were and described it as a giant pair of ears. Dutch mathematician Christiaan Huygens was the first to accurately describe the figure to be ring-like. Since then many advancements have been made that allowed us to discover that Saturn has 8 main rings. The second planet to be discovered with rings was Uranus on March 10, 1977, by four groups of astronomers who hoped to observe Uranus. Then came Jupiter in 1979 and lastly Neptune in 1984.  Due to this list, our brains heavily associate planetary ring systems with ice giants and gas giants.

How do planetary ring systems appear/develop?

Much research has been done to determine the process of development of the ringed planets in our solar system. There is no way to know for certain but this is the the current progress.

Saturn: Saturn’s rings could have emerged from debris that came from a collision of two icy moons a few hundred million years ago according to NASA researchers. Additionally, they believe that the excess of debris that didn’t merge into the ring formed some of Saturn’s present-day moons.

Jupiter: It is speculated that Jupiter’s rings are made of dust particles that could have come from micrometeorites that crashed into the planet’s small inner moons.

Neptune: It is believed that Neptune’s rings are formed the latest compared to the other planets in our solar system. One of Neptune’s inner moons may have been torn apart by gravity when it got too close to the planet which created its rings.

Uranus: Like Neptune, Uranus’s rings are also quite young compared to the other two ringed planets in our solar system. The rings surrounding Uranus are believed to have formed from the remnants of destroyed moons after the planet took shape. A 90-degree tilt is observed in the rings, which corresponds to Uranus’ rotation.

Video of Saturn’s ring formation:

What do ring systems tell us about a planet? What does it do for it?

Most scientists believe that ring systems don’t serve a purpose for the planets but are decorative elements that enhances their beauty. Some theorize, however, that the rings of Saturn are actually more like the surface of an extraplanetary body. In addition to that statement, the rings are believed to be active, dynamic structures where temperature shifts occur daily, seasons change, and even moons are born.

So, could it happen to Earth?

Wouldn’t it be fascinating if Earth could have its own set of rings? First of all, why doesn’t Earth have rings? Scientists have thus far identified three possible reasons why the inner planets in our solar systems don’t have rings. Firstly, unlike the outer planets, the inner planets are positioned in the inside of our solar system which is believed to have protected them from collisions. Secondly, there are more moons(satellites) that can form rings around the planets in the outer solar system. Lastly, larger planets are believed to be better suited for the formation of rings and allowing them to remain stable because of the extra space. With the given information, it would be weird for Earth to develop a ring, right? “Earth is on course to have its own rings. They’ll just be made of junk.” says Jake Abbott, a robotics professor at the University of Utah. Extraordinarily, Earth will form a ring in the future but it won’t be like the other planets in our solar system. Earth’s ring will not be made of rocks or ice, instead, it will be made of human-made junk and scrap. Researchers predict that due to the accumulation of debris left in space after expeditions, the junk will continue to orbit around Earth leading to a ring.

How will that affect Earth?

Here are some theorized effects that a ring would have on Earth:

• In the same way that the moon currently reflects sunlight back to Earth at night, the rings would also appear to glow.
• Earth will have constant meteor showers over the equator as the inner part of the ring continues to fall apart and rain onto the planet.
• Observers will be able to see a thin line at the equator and large arches as you move either up or down the earth.
• Satellites in space would be at risk for running into the debris. They might have to be stationed above or below the ring to be safe.
• Telescopes on Earth may have trouble seeing past the ring system.
• The shadow that the ring system creates may affect farming.
• Space travel would be much harder because it would be harder to launch rockets into space.

Photo of what a ring would look like from New York:

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Photo of what a ring would look like from Guatemala:

(Image credit: Ron Miller)

Fun facts:

• Scientists theorize that Earth had a ring a few billion years ago. They guess that it was formed at the same time as the moon. Based on the giant-impactor hypothesis, Earth in the past collided with another small planet(Theia) causing debris to be sent into Earth’s orbit. It eventually merged into our moon.

• Nasa believes that Mars’s gravity will break apart one of its moons, Phobos, in 30-50 million years. Its remnants will form rings that might last up to 100 million years.

The video that inspired my wonder question:

Question Conclusion:

At the moment, Earth is not likely to develop a ring like the other planets in our solar system. There aren’t any predicted collisions that are to take place between our moon or other large bodies. It is more likely that the clutter surrounding our planet will form a ring.

Citation:

“Planetary Rings.” Earth Sciences for Students, Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. Gale In Context: Science, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CV2640550179/SCIC?u=43riss&sid=bookmark-SCIC&xid=7e52bcdf. Accessed 16 May 2024. 

Micu, Alexandru. “Earth Could One Day Have Rings like Saturn — Only They’d Be Made of Space Junk.” ZME Science, 4 Apr. 2023, http://www.zmescience.com/science/earth-might-develop-junk-rings-but-engineers-are-working-to-prevent-that/#:~:text=The%20Earth%20is%20on%20its. Accessed 28 May 2024.

“Does Earth Have Rings?” HowStuffWorks, 1 Jan. 1970, science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/what-if/what-if-earth-had-rings.htm.

‌Mehta, Jatan. “How Do Planets Get Rings?” The Planetary Society, 21 June 2022, http://www.planetary.org/articles/how-do-planets-get-rings.

‌“Planetary Ring | Definition, Examples, & Facts | Britannica.” http://Www.britannica.com, http://www.britannica.com/science/ring-system.

‌“Planetary Rings | Astronomy.” Courses.lumenlearning.com, courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-astronomy/chapter/planetary-rings/#:~:text=The%20nine%20main%20rings%20were. Accessed 28 May 2024.

‌“Planetary Ring Systems | Encyclopedia.com.” http://Www.encyclopedia.com, http://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/planetary-ring-systems-0#A. Accessed 28 May 2024.

Tavares, Frank. “New Simulations Shed Light on Origins of Saturn’s Rings and Icy Moons – NASA.” NASA, 26 Sept. 2023, http://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/new-simulations-shed-light-on-origins-of-saturns-rings-and-icy-moons/#:~:text=According%20to%20new%20research%20by.

Reflection:

1. What questions did you need to research in order to research your topic?

I had to understand a few things about planetary ring systems before I could explain if Earth could develop a ring. Here are a few questions I researched:

• What do ring systems tell us about a planet?
• What do rings do for a planet?
• Where are ring systems found?
• How do ring systems develop?
• What are ring systems?

2. What new or familiar digital tools did you try to use as you worked through this project?

I watched a few videos at the beginning stages of this project to get a broad overview of the topic. Oddly enough, I don’t usually do that but I found it very useful. In the end, I used a citation machine to cite my sources so I didn’t miss anything.

3. What was the process you used to investigate the topic?

First, I tried my best to understand as much about my topic as possible by watching YouTube videos and taking notes. Then I began researching my wonder question more in-depth to answer my sub-questions. I used many resources and websites to better answer my questions.

4. How did you verify and cite the information you found?

I used my critical thinking to determine if the source I found was reliable. I tried to remember what teachers have taught me in the past about finding reliable sources. I didn’t use any sources that were from unreliable websites. I also compared answers with multiple sources to confirm if they were true. I cited my sources with a citation machine.

5. How did the process of completing this challenge go? What could you have done better?

‌I feel like it went alright, I enjoyed having the freedom to choose my own topic to write about. I think I could have split up the work more evenly, I wrote most of it during the last few days. I also felt like I could have explained more in some places but overall I think I did fine.