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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.