It's finally here! A paper I've been awaiting for years.
My former thesis advisor, Peter Goldreich, along w/ 2 colleagues, has finished a paper he's been working on a long time, explaining how Enceladus became what it is today.
It's a fascinating & complex story about Enc's evolution into a ...\1
My former thesis advisor, Peter Goldreich, along w/ 2 colleagues, has finished a paper he's been working on a long time, explaining how Enceladus became what it is today.
It's a fascinating & complex story about Enc's evolution into a ...\1
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Comments
... described tidal/orbit interactions (of the kind developed and presented in this paper)
... Worked out the history of Neptune satellite system & showed how Triton's orbit came to be retrograde
.... First described the phenomenon of ... \1
... Predicted the migration of planets
... Pretty much founded, along with his collaborator, Scott Tremaine, the field of planetary rings
I could go on.
It would be really cool if you cld do the entire south polar terrain, whose outer boundary is at the same latitude that Edinburgh, Scotland is on Earth. It couldn't be flat, tho'. Curvature would be required.
Have a look & be glad you live in interesting times!
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2503.01967
[PS. Europa cannot experience such a cycle. ;-) ]
I just want to experience all that wonder for myself & be grateful that I lived to do that.
(And a welcome change of perspective these days …)
Thinking about the Saturn system reminds me how much else is out there. Giving me moments of appreciation for science and scientists.
And for the most profound perspective available to us on this planet, go outside on a dark, moonless, clear night, away from city lights, & gaze at the MilkyWay. Be still & think hard 'That is my home galaxy. All else is transient.' And if it pops into 3D for you, you've succeeded. 😉