Officially, Saturn has 274 known moons. Un-officially, it has billions upon billions of them – the bits of ice and rock that make up the planet’s rings. They range from the size of dust grains to giant boulders. All of them orbit the giant planet like tiny moons.

The system consists of three main bands, which are easy to see. Together, they span about three-quarters of the distance between Earth and the Moon. But there are some thinner, fainter bands as well. One is closer to Saturn than the main bands, while the others are farther.

Despite their great span, the rings are quite thin – generally no more than a few dozen feet thick. Individual rings are held in check by the gravity of some of Saturn’s moons and “moonlets” – bodies no more than a few hundred feet in diameter that orbit inside the ring system. In some cases, they force the rings to intertwine like the braids in a loaf of challah bread.

Scientists are still debating the age of the rings. Estimates range from a hundred million years to more than four billion. Either way, the rings are constantly replenished with fresh supplies of ice and dust – sustaining one of the most amazing features in the solar system.

Saturn is at its best for the entire year. It looks like a bright star, low in the east at nightfall and climbing high across the south during the night. Telescopes reveal the planet’s beautiful rings.

Script by Damond Benningfield