--- title: "Jupiter’s Moons Accused of Sucking Up the Planet’s Rings" description: "Jupiter's massive moons may be the reason why the gas giant never formed rings like its neighbor Saturn, according to new research." date: "2022-07-27" modified: "2022-07-27" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/jupiters-moons-sucking-planetary-rings" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "Science & Energy" - "Space" tags: - "jupiter" - "rings of saturn" - "saturn" - "the digest" --- # Jupiter’s Moons Accused of Sucking Up the Planet’s Rings ![Jupiter's massive moons may be the reason why the gas giant never formed rings like its neighbor Saturn, according to new research.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## Left Out Have you ever wondered why Saturn has those giant, [gorgeous rings](), while the even larger Jupiter doesn’t? They’re both neighboring gas giants, so what’s the deal? You wouldn’t be the first, and scientists now think they know the answer. The lack of rings, according to a [new study]() soon to be published in the journal *Planetary Science*, are Jupiter's pesky and numerous moons. "We found that the Galilean moons of Jupiter, one of which is the largest moon in our solar system, would very quickly destroy any large rings that might form," said lead author Stephen Kane, who is an astrophysicist at UC Riverside, a [press release](). "As a result, it is unlikely that Jupiter had large rings at any point in its past." ## Enter the Ring The researchers ran a simulation that accounted for Jupiter’s orbit, as well as that of its four moons. They found that the gravitational pull of the moons were strong enough to cause the shards of ice that typically comprise planetary rings to be booted out of Jupiter’s orbit, or even be sucked into the moons themselves. "Massive planets form massive moons, which prevents them from having substantial rings," Kane explained. To put the size of these moons in perspective, [Ganymede](), the largest of the four, is larger than the planet Mercury. ## Small Fry While Jupiter does actually have rings, they’re pretty pathetic compared to Saturn’s, and not particularly noticeable without special observational equipment, according to the researchers. "We didn't know these ephemeral rings existed until the Voyager spacecraft went past, because we couldn't see them," Kane said. But that doesn't mean they aren't useful. Scientists can use planetary rings — even ones as faint as Jupiter's — to help uncover a planet's history, such as collisions it may have had with comets and other moons in the past. The researchers plan to apply their simulation model to [Uranus]() next, hoping to determine the lifespan [of its rings]() and to understand why it revolves around the Sun with its unique 98 degree tilt. **More on Jupiter:** [*James Webb Picture of Jupiter So Crisp You Can See Its Moon Europa*]() ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()