the-science-llama:

If Earth Had Rings pt.2

Here are some follow up images (found in the replies) from that previous post.

The top image depicts a scene above the clouds with the Sun about to be eclipsed by the rings at Spring or Fall equinox and the resulting shadow on the Earth becoming a narrow band. The clouds at the far right are beyond the shadow and are being illuminated.

The bottom image shows the rings, again during one of the equinoxes, but at night with the Earth’s shadow cutting across the rings completely.

People were commenting before about how else life would be effected by the rings and some interesting ideas were the fact that mythology would be completely different from having less constellations and having the rings dominate the sky at all times. Also, sending satellites out into orbit would be a hassle considering you would have to avoid the rings because launching rockets is easier at the equator since it is moving the fastest. Not to mention geosynchronous satellites which orbit at the equator, that would be difficult if there were giants rings in the way. Aside from making the sky absolutely beautiful, I vote no on having rings.