This image of Saturn and its rings was taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft.

(NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)

At a Glance

A new study has found that Saturn's rings likely formed during a period of heavy bombardment some four billion years ago.The rings may be composed of fragments of thousands of dwarf planets, which invaded the solar system from its outer edges.

Humans have been mesmerized by Saturn's iconic rings for centuries, but astronomers have long studied how they formed without a definitive answer.

Now, they might be getting a little closer to figuring it out, thanks to a recent study by a team of researchers from Japan. Using a new model that is based on computer simulation results, the scientists believe the planet's rings are composed of large celestial objects– possibly thousands of dwarf planets– , according to a Kobe University release that coincided with the study.

"These findings illustrate that the rings of giant planets are natural by-products of the formation process of the planets in our solar system," said the release. "This implies that giant planets discovered around other stars likely have rings formed by a similar process."

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The study, which was published last month in the journal Icarus, said with large celestial bodies that came from the Kuiper belt in the outer reaches of the solar system.

But as they studied the simulations more carefully, the researchers learned the smaller fragments that approached the trio of planets during the Late Heavy Bombardment period were captured by their orbits. Through repeated collisions, those fragments were broken into smaller pieces and their orbits were made circular, creating the rings we've seen since Saturn was first observed.

"These findings illustrate that the rings of giant planets are natural by-products of the formation process of the planets in our solar system," the release also said. "This implies that giant planets discovered around other stars likely have rings formed by a similar process."

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Rings View From Washington, D.C.

At 38 degrees north latitude, the rings would be beautifully displayed. Here we see them at sunrise. (Courtesy Ron Miller)