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If the Earth …

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North polarhexagonal cloud

feature

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Saturn’s rings Saturn is probably best known for its system of rings which extend from 6,630 ___________(a) to 120,700 ___________(a) above the planet’s __________(b). They average approximately ______(c) meters in thickness and consist mostly of ________(d) particles with a smaller amount of rocky debris and dust. There are two main theories regarding the origin of Saturn’s rings: One theory is that the rings are the remains of a destroyed _________(e). The second theory is that the rings are left over from the original nebular material from which Saturn formed.

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Saturn’s rings Saturn is probably best known for its system of rings which extend from 6,630 kilometers to 120,700 kilometers above the planet’s equator. They average approximately 20meters in thickness and consist mostly of ice particles with a smaller amount of rocky debris and dust. There are two main theories regarding the origin of Saturn’s rings: One theory is that the rings are the remains of a destroyed moon. The second theory is that the rings areleft over from the original nebular material from which Saturn formed.

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• How would the Earth look if it had a ring system like Saturn?

• What would the rings look like to us?

• Would they appear across the sky from East to West or from North to South?

• How would they appear near the equator?

• How would they appear far from the equator?

• How would they appear at night?