SOLAR SYSTEM
How did Saturn get its rings?
Saturn’s rings consist of mostly ice, rock and dust
Imagine two ring particles – little chunks of ice – in contact with each other near Saturn. The planet’s gravitational attraction is a little stronger on the particle closer to Saturn. This difference is called a tidal force, and is closely related to the tides in the oceans. Because of tidal forces, it’s difficult or impossible for a moon to form very close to a planet.