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Saturn's rings are probably the most well known and spectacular feature associated with any of the planets. Galileo discovered the rings in 1610 with his newly invented telescope, and was mystified by these celestial appendages. Based on the color, reflectance, and spectral properties of the rings, we now know that the rings are composed of almost pure water ice. Despite their vast size, Saturn's rings are exceedingly thin and the amount of water contained in them is only about as much as is locked up in the Antarctic and Greenland ice caps. To learn more about Saturn's rings click here.
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