Tim Snow, Age 10, Of Fredericton, N.B., Canada, for his Question: 

Do we know how saturn got its rings?

Astronomers cannot say for certain how the planet saturn came by its circles of dazzling rings. They have theories to explain them, but to an expert a theory is no more than an educated guess. One theory suggests that the rings were once a moon or satellite that orbited the big planet. The path of this ancient moon if it ever existed wondered too c1ose to the giant planet. The mighty force of Saturn's gravity could shatter it to fragments and. The bits and pieces would continue around in separate orbits.

Another theory suggests that the rings may be masses of floating debris captured from their aimless tracks around the solar system. Perhaps a roving meteor or several roving meteors came too near the big planet, only to be shattered by its tremendous gravity. In any case, the splendid circles seem to be made of fragments of ice, and Saturn, Jupiter and Neptune are the only planets we know of to have such a dazzling band of rings.