The rings. Where are the rings?

They're that blue line across the middle of the striking image of Saturn below. Compiled from a number of images taken by the Cassini spacecraft, it shows what the ringed planet's most notable feature looks like when Cassini crosses the plane of the rings.


[Image: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA]
Just how thin are those rings? While they are 168,000 miles (250,000 km) in diameter, they're only about 5 miles (8 km) thick. If Saturn were a ball one meter (just over a yard) across, the rings would only be 1/10,000 the thickness of a razor blade.

You can read more information about Saturn and about how the image above was made if you go here. A much bigger version of the image is here.

Via Astronomy Picture of the Day.

More: In more Saturn news, astronomers have found 12 new mooons, bringing Saturn's total to 46.