Re: Question from my 7 year old son

From: Richard Tobin (richard_at_cogsci.ed.ac.uk)
Date: 03/24/05 

Date: 24 Mar 2005 17:18:28 GMT

In article <mIq0e.14514$fn3.8659@attbi_s01>,
Sam Wormley <swormley1@mchsi.com> wrote:

> See: http://www.mhhe.com/physsci/astronomy/fix/student/chapter12/12f36.html
> The ring material is inside Saturn's Roche distance (tidal forces are
> strong enough to pull apart material that tries to clump). Good question
> from a 7-yr old.

That diagram shows a single Roche distance. But the distance depends
on the size of the satellite (small rocks can survive closer than
large ones). So what is the diagram representing?

-- Richard