Scientists have named a possible reason for the appearance of the rings of Titan and Saturn

Titan, Saturn's largest moon, could have appeared as a result of the collision of two moons that occurred 100 million years ago. This was announced on February 27 by scientists from the SETI Institute.

"Titan was formed when two old moons collided hundreds of millions of years ago," the institute explained.

Researchers believe that this cosmic crash changed Saturn's entire lunar system and indirectly triggered the formation of its famous rings. Titan's unusual origin is indicated by its orbit and surprisingly smooth surface.

The new study is based on data obtained by NASA's Cassini spacecraft over 13 years of mission. The device showed that Saturn's mass is concentrated closer to the center than previously assumed. This changes the precession rate of the planet, which is why it no longer coincides with the precession of Neptune. Previously, scientists assumed that the gravitational interaction of these planets gradually tilted Saturn, making its rings more visible.

To explain the discrepancy, the researchers hypothesized the existence of an additional moon at Saturn, which was discarded after a collision with Titan and later disintegrated, forming rings. The SETI Institute team tested this theory using computer simulations. Calculations showed that the most likely outcome was not the formation of rings, but a direct collision and merger of the additional moon with Titan.

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On the same day, scientists talked about the possible preservation of life in the ice of Mars. It was clarified that this conclusion was reached by scientists from NASA and the University of Pennsylvania, who showed in laboratory experiments that ice is able to protect organic molecules much more effectively than Martian soil.

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