Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2016
One of the very exciting discoveries in astronomy and planetary sciences in recent times is the detection of a series of narrow rings around Uranus. During more than three centuries, the rings of Saturn have had a special fascination and symbolism and an enormous amount of literature has been devoted to studies of their nature, properties and origin. The discovery of Uranus’s rings, and two years later of Jupiter’s rings has not only renewed interest but also raised a number of new cosmogonical questions.