Do you know about this day?

On this day, March 10, 1977, astronomers James Elliot, Edward Dunham, and Jessica Mink discovered rings around Uranus, the seventh planet in our solar system, during a stellar occultation experiment, using the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. 

The Discovery:
On March 10, 1977, astronomers James Elliot, Edward Dunham, and Jessica Mink were conducting routine observations of Uranus when they stumbled upon an extraordinary finding: Uranus was encircled by rings. 

The Method:
They were using the Kuiper Airborne Observatory, an airliner fitted with an infrared telescope, to study the atmosphere of Uranus by observing the planet as it crossed in front of a distant star (SAO 158687). 

The Surprise:
Unexpectedly, they observed the star to dim briefly five times at some considerable distance above Uranus's atmosphere both before and after the planet occulted the star. 

The Rings:
The dips in brightness indicated that the planet was encircled by five narrow rings. 

Subsequent Observations:
Later Earth-based observations revealed four additional rings, and Voyager 2 and other telescopes have since delivered visual evidence of Uranus's ring system, which includes at least 13 rings. 

Significance:
The discovery of Uranus's rings was a significant finding because it helped astronomers understand that rings are a common feature of planets, not merely a peculiarity of Saturn.