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How wide are Saturnās main rings?
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Saturn
Saturn and its spectacular rings, in a natural-color composite of 126 images taken by the Cassini spacecraft on October 6, 2004. The view is directed toward Saturn's southern hemisphere, which is tipped toward the Sun. Shadows cast by the rings are visible against the bluish northern hemisphere, while the planet's shadow is projected on the rings to the left.
Saturnās main ring system is composed of three broad, major ringsāthe C, B, and A ringsāwhich are visible from Earth. The widths of these specific major rings are as follows:1
- C ring: 17,500 km1
- B ring: 25,500 km1
- A ring: 14,600 km1
While these major rings are separated by gaps and divisions, they collectively span a diameter of approximately 270,000 km (170,000 miles). Despite this vast reach, the rings are remarkably thin, with a thickness that does not exceed 100 meters (330 feet). Beyond these main structures, the entire ring system is much more extensive, spanning nearly 26,000,000 km (16,000,000 miles) when including the faint outer rings.12