Saturn’s Rings May Be as Old as the Planet, Study Suggests

New research challenges previous estimates, proposing that Saturn's iconic rings could date back 4.5 billion years to the planet's formation.

Scientists previously believed Saturn's rings were only 100 to 400 million years old due to their clean appearance, as observed by NASA's Cassini spacecraft.
New computer modeling indicates that micrometeoroid impacts vaporize debris, preventing significant darkening of the rings over billions of years.
The study suggests that the rings' resistance to pollution could mean they are as old as Saturn, dating back 4.5 billion years.
Researchers propose that the chaotic early solar system may have provided the conditions for the rings' formation near Saturn's birth.
Further research, including laboratory experiments and future planetary missions, is needed to refine the age and understand the origins of Saturn's rings.