# Earth's ring

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earths-ring/490243>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 21, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earths-ring/490243 "2009-03-21T05:45:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earths-ring/490243/1 "2009-03-21T05:45:03Z")

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Several years ago, I remember reading that a scientist had found a small, faint ring around the Earth. My google skills seem to be failing me, because now when I attempt to find out anything about it, all I find are dozens of sites that say rings have only been found around Jupiter, Neptune, and Uranus (besides the big obvious ones around Saturn).

Can anyone point me towards a cite about Earth’s ring?

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earths-ring/490243/2 "2009-03-21T06:03:34Z")

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If you wait long enough, we’ll have a ring of space junk.

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**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earths-ring/490243/3 "2009-03-21T06:13:08Z")

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I found sites discussing the possibility of a past ring during the Cretaceous period and after the impact that created the Moon, but nothing about a current ring, however faint.

However, I did just found out one of Saturn’s moons, Rhea, has its own ring.

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**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earths-ring/490243/4 "2009-03-21T09:48:49Z")

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I have a vague recollection of reading about Earth having a faint ring, but that’s it. So you aren’t the only one to have heard that **engineer\_comp\_geek**.

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**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earths-ring/490243/5 "2009-03-21T13:47:27Z")

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There is [a dust ring around the Earth’s orbit](http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu//full/1996ASPC..104..309H/0000309.000.html), more concentrated behind the planet as it moves than in front of it. Created by dust spiralling in towards the Sun tending to get trapped in resonance with the Earth.

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**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earths-ring/490243/6 "2009-03-21T14:01:25Z")

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I have friends with dust rings like that.

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**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earths-ring/490243/7 "2009-03-21T17:51:43Z")

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> [@Philster](#):
>
> I have friends with dust rings like that.

Did you tell them, “There are rings around Uranus”?

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earths-ring/490243/8 "2009-03-22T02:18:31Z")

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I wondered how long it would take for someone to make a Uranus joke. 😛

> [@Aesiron](#):
>
> Rhea, has its own ring.

Cool. I may not have found what I was looking for so far, but at least I learned something new.