Rings of Neptune

Neptune has five planetary rings whose existence is confirmed.

Characteristics

The existence of the rings of Neptune was detected on Earth in 1984 by André Brahic, Bruno Sicardy and William Hubbard at the time of Occultation S of star S; it seemed whereas the rings were incomplete and that they formed only arcs around planet. In 1989, the passage of the probe Voyager 2 made it possible to clarify knowledge: the rings of Neptune are quite whole, but some have indeed a structure in arc, more brilliant parts.

Center towards outside, one finds successively the rings Galle (broad, but not very luminous), the Glassmaker, Lassell (an extension slightly luminous of the Glassmaker), Arago and Adams.

Adams contains at least four arcs (“Courage”, “Freedom”, “Equality” and “Fraternity”). The cause of their stability is not known (they would have, according to the laws of dynamics, to be uniformly spread out over a short period of time), but it is thought that the moon Galatée, located just a little more close to Neptune, confines them.

Ground observations published into 2005 seem to indicate that the rings of Neptune more unstable than are previously thought. In particular, the arc “Freedom” could disappear in one century.

List

Here the list of the known rings of Neptune, classified by increasing ray.

⁽¹⁾ Ray of Neptune: 24.766 km.
⁽²⁾ the rings Lassell and Arago was initially identified like only one ring, indicated per 1989 NR 4R.
⁽³⁾ the Adams ring comprises several arcs: “Courage”, “Freedom”, “Equality 1”, “Equality 2” and “Fraternity”.

Source: NASA

See too

Internal bonds

External bonds

'' Neptunian Boxing rings Fact Sheet ''

References

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