By George Wolfe
PASADENA, Ca. — Scientists at the Jet Propulsion Lab are
discovering many astounding things from the haunting imagery pulled
in by the Cassini mission. For starters, Saturn's second concentric
ring essentially has about the same "air-quality" as
parts of Los Angeles during the summer.
JPL scientists have affectionately dubbed it "the Pasadena
Ring."
"If you look at the photos closely,
you can barely make out what might be the remains of a 20-lane freeway
on [Saturn's smoggy moon] Titan."
— Claudio Abid, scientist
Jet Propulsion Lab
"We expected those dust rings to be extremely dense and full
of interstellar dust," said chief atmospheric scientist Claudio
Abid, "but if I took a walk outside right now [here in Pasadena],
it'd be about the same."
Saturn's closest concentric ring has a "particle-to-space
ratio" comparable to Houston, while the third, fourth, fifth
and sixth rings were said to be akin to air quality in Detroit,
Newark, Memphis and Atlanta. Spokespersons from those cities categorically
refuted the air-quality comparisons and collectively countered
that the whole mission was a made-for-TV hoax.
The scientists named one of the most far-out rings the "Rodman
Ring," in honor of the former Chicago Bulls basketball player,
Dennis Rodman, who adorned himself with flashy gold facial rings.
And beyond the Rodman Ring are the faint traces of the rings now
dubbed the "Liberace Rings" after the famed, ring-clad
performer.
PACE TO BREATHE:
The Los Angeles / Pasadena ring is second only to Houston
in its particle-to-space ratio of dirtiness.