Uranus’s Hidden Narrow Rings

Abstract

Abstract In addition to its suite of narrow dense rings, Uranus is surrounded by an extremely complex system of dusty rings that were most clearly seen by the Voyager spacecraft after it flew past the planet. A new analysis of the highest-resolution images of these dusty rings reveals that a number of them are less than 20 km wide. The extreme narrowness of these rings, along with the fact that most of them do not appear to fall close to known satellite resonances, should provide new insights into the forces responsible for sculpting the Uranian ring system.