What if Earth had rings like Saturn? The rings of Saturn are mostly made up of chunks and bits of ice that spans for thousands of miles wide, granting it the majesty befitting a planet named after the king of the Titan. Its rings have mesmerized humans ever since Galileo discovered them in 1610 using his telescope.
Space and science fiction illustrator Ron Miller created images of Earth if it had rings showing how the sky would look like. The appearance of the rings would most likely be based on what latitude the viewer is, but the most stable place for rings would be at the equator.
Those in the equator, like the Quito, Ecuador, would see the rings from the inner edge-on, making it look like a thin line rising straight up from the horizon. At the same time, those in the temperate latitudes will see the rings like a giant arch that crosses from one end of the sky to the other.
These rings will neither rise nor set, unlike the Sun, as it would constantly appear at the same place in the sky. It would be visible from day until night time.
Bright Rings
Saturn's rings have ice, but if Earth had rings it would not have any ice as the latter is nearer to the Sun compared to the former. But still, it will be made of rock. The Moon's rock is gray, and the Moon reflects 12% of the light falling onto it, but during a full moon, it looks so bright because it has so much light falling on it and it is so close to Earth, says Caleb Scharf the director of astrobiology in Columbia University.
Scharf added that the Earth's rings would be as bright as a 130-watt light bulb if 10% of the light that hits the Earth, about 1,300 watts of sunlight, would be reflected on it.
Read Also: New Study Finds at Least 45 Planets With Qualities Similar to Earth
Rings Would Be Closer Than the Moon
According to the University Cooperation for Atmospheric Research, the absolute closest the rings would get to the Earth is somewhat above the atmospheric layer called the thermosphere that reaches up to 620 miles (1,000 km). Commercial airplanes that fly as high as 7 miles (11 km) will not be affected by the rings.
But atmospheric drag would pull any ring matter that descended too low, and if that happens, it will burn up like a shooting star.
Any object that orbits within the Roche limit, the specific distance of Earth affected by gravity, will break apart because of the gravitational pull. These objects shatter once it breaks apart and then would join the rocky ring.
For instance, a rock or any object from the Moon that fell below 7,365 miles (11,850 km) from Earth's surface would shatter and forms a ring around the planet. Ultimately, the Earth's rings would most likely orbit even closer than the Moon.
Earth's Shadow Might Fall on Rings
The Earth's shadow might fall on the rings depending on the latitude, time of the day, and season. The shadow would look oval-shaped instead of circular on its rings and move as the time goes by.
The Sun would lie on the same plane as the rings during the equinox, and the planet's shadow would look like it is stretched to its greatest extent. But for those in the equator, the rings would look like t was dividing the planet with half is on the bright side, and the other has a dramatic shadow.
In the summer of the Northern hemisphere and winter on the southern hemisphere, the rings would cast their shadows on the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. That means winter on both sides might be colder and more severe than the Earth without any rings. It also means that the total light Earth receives will increase, which affects the climate of the planet.
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