astronomy

 After looking at this rather cool animation, I am sold. I think the earth should have rings, just like Saturn. As an astronomy buff from forever ago, I can tell you that while Jupiter is very cool in a backyard telescope (and took my breath away during the great comet crash of 1994), Saturn is a singular, and spectacular, jewel in the night sky.

Thanks to Lew Pitcher for pointing this one out to me.  Let me quote this observation from Lew: "Now, given that the moon has been both an inspiration for astronomy and a source of endless measurements, how would human science and history have gone if, instead of a Moon, we had Rings?  Interesting concept, isn't it?"

Indeed.