2007-05-09 13:42:34 · 7 answers · asked by lilsquige 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Rings are a feature which is exclusive to the larger outer planets which are called 'gas giants' probably because they are so massive (many times more massive than earth) that their gravitation attracts a band of drifting debris, the leftovers from the nova explosion of the star that used to inhabit our region of space around 5.5 Billion years ago.
Mars is too small and near to the sun to have its own band of debris in orbit, neither does earth or Venus. These are known as terrestrial planets. Humans can actually walk on Mars, and with luck someday they will.
2007-05-09 13:49:56 · answer #1 · answered by eggman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mars does not have an actual ring system like the outer planets, because it has never had one of it's moons break up. Rings are caused when small particles are captured by a planets gravity, but mostly responsible, are the breakup of moons orbiting the planet. The gas giants strong gravity sometimes draws moons in and shatters them creating a ring system.(Saturn's was most likely caused by a large moon breaking up, at least in part)
Phobos Mar's innermost moon is on a course to destruction and will eventually break up but not for thousands more years. Then Mars will possibly have a ring system.
One more thing...though Mars has always been thought not to have rings, the Rosetta spacecraft spotted a think haze of space dust circling the Red Planet, these arn't exactly rings, however, more like a halo. As for planets closer to the sun, the icy particles in the rings would melt from the heat. Therefore, it is possible that Mars has a faint dusty band, but more importantly it could once Phobos shatters. Other than that the only reason is that Mar's gravity is relatively small and cannot sustain a complex ring system such as saturn.
Hope this helped somewhat.
2007-05-09 14:32:32 · answer #2 · answered by North_Star 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does Mars Have Rings
2016-10-04 21:08:54 · answer #3 · answered by suero 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
Why doesn't Mars have rings?
2015-08-08 00:29:52 · answer #4 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/wzhL6
A ring around Mars? - No. A ring ON Mars?- Yes. The wheel bearings of the rovers Opportunity and Spirit are rings.
2016-03-27 02:41:26 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It seems most ring systems are formed by collisions of rocky moons, asteroids, or planets. They then hover in orbit around their neighboring planet like a satellite in earths orbit.
This probably did not occur in the vicinity of Mars.
2007-05-09 14:26:36 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO, the only planets with rings are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The rest do not, cannot, and never will have rings on or around them.
2016-03-22 20:44:45 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it recently got separated with another planet...!!!
2007-05-09 15:49:33 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
because of gabe gojcaj
2015-02-16 06:40:10 · answer #9 · answered by Ginny 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nobody ever gave it one. (snif..)
2007-05-09 14:16:49 · answer #10 · answered by Nash 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋