CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — New research suggests that Saturn’s rings may be older than they look — possibly as old as the planet.
Instead of being a youthful 400 million years old as commonly thought, the icy, shimmering rings could be around 4.5 billion years old just like Saturn, a Japanese-led team reported Monday.
The scientists surmise Saturn’s rings may be pristine not because they are young but because they are dirt-resistant.
Saturn's rings are long thought to be between 100 million and 400 million years old based on more than a decade of observations by NASA's Cassini spacecraft before its demise in 2017.
Images by Cassini showed no evidence of any darkening of the rings by impacting micrometeoroids — space rock particles smaller than a grain of sand — prompting scientists to conclude the rings formed long after the planet.
Through computer modeling, the Institute of Science Tokyo's Ryuki Hyodo and his team demonstrated that micrometeoroids vaporize once slamming into the rings, with little if any dark and dirty residue left behind. They found that the resulting charged particles get sucked toward Saturn or out into space, keeping the rings spotless and challenging the baby rings theory. Their results appear in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Hyodo said it's possible Saturn's rings could be somewhere between the two extreme ages — around the halfway mark of 2.25 billion years old. But the solar system was much more chaotic during its formative years with large planetary-type objects migrating and interacting all over the place, just the sort of scenario that would be conducive to producing Saturn's rings.
“Considering the solar system’s evolutionary history, it’s more likely that the rings formed closer to" Saturn's earliest times, he said in an email.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
This Aug. 22, 2009 image made available by NASA shows a section of Saturn's rings, as seen from the Cassini spacecraft. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute via AP)
This July 6, 2017 image made available by NASA shows the planet Saturn on the sunlit side of the rings from a distance of about 47,000 miles (76,000 kilometers), as seen from the Cassini spacecraft. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute via AP)
This April 25, 2007 image made available by NASA shows a part of the rings of the planet Saturn, as seen from the Cassini spacecraft. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute via AP)
This Jan. 2, 2010 image made available by NASA shows the planet Saturn, as seen from the Cassini spacecraft. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute via AP)
MAMOUDZOU, Mayotte (AP) — France used ships and military aircraft to rush rescue workers and supplies to its tiny Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Monday after the island group was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. Authorities fear hundreds and possibly thousands of people have died.
Survivors wandered through streets littered with debris, searching for water and shelter after Saturday's Cyclone Chido leveled entire neighborhoods when it hit Mayotte, the poorest territory in France and — by extension — the European Union.
“Chaos” is how resident Fahar Abdoulhamidi described the aftermath. In Mamoudzou, Mayotte’s capital, destruction was total: Schools, hospitals, restaurants, and government offices were in ruins.
Hillside villages were reduced to a jumble of snapped trees and piles of corrugated metal and wood. Electricity was down across the archipelago, with only the capital spared, and authorities were concerned about a shortage of drinking water. Telecommunications also were severely disrupted, because most antennas were knocked out of service.
The French Red Cross described the devastation as “unimaginable” and said that it was impossible to give an exact number of victims, with rescuers still searching for bodies in the rubble.
Many ignored the warnings issued 12 to 24 hours before the storm hit, underestimating its power.
“Nobody believed it would be that big,” Abdoulhamidi, 46, told The Associated Press by phone. “Those who live in bangas stayed in despite the cyclone, fearing their homes would be looted,” he said, referring to the island’s precarious informal settlements.
Even worse, many migrants who are living in Mayotte illegally avoided shelters out of fear of deportation, Abdoulhamidi added. “Many were trapped in a vicious cycle,” he said.
Authorities used military-style vehicles to clear trees from roads so rescuers and supplies could reach those in need. The damage — including to the territory's sole airport — has left some areas still inaccessible to emergency teams, hampering authorities’ ability to assess the devastation and get basic necessities to survivors. The vast majority of Mayotte’s residents remained without power.
The official death toll was 20, according to television station Mayotte la 1ere, but French Health Minister Geneviève Darrieussecq earlier warned that any current estimates were likely major undercounts “compared to the scale of the disaster.”
More than 20 tons of supplies, including drinking water, hygiene kits and buckets to boil water, were being shipped in from the nearby French territory of Reunion to meet urgent needs, the French Red Cross said.
Those who survived were also starting to go hungry, according to Mayotte Sen. Salama Ramia. She told BFM-TV that many people heading to shelters found dire conditions.
“There’s no water, no electricity. Hunger is starting to rise. It’s urgent that aid arrives, especially when you see children, babies, to whom we have nothing concrete to offer,” she said.
Even as authorities struggled to bring in aid, people began to rebuild, Abdoulhamidi said.
“I heard hammering everywhere I went today,” he said, pointing to the sheer necessity driving those in bangas to reconstruct their homes from scratch.
Mayotte is a densely populated archipelago of more than 320,000 people, according to the French government, most of whom are Muslim. Situated between Madagascar and the African continent, it is made up of two main islands and has been under French administration since 1841.
The actual population may be much higher due to migrants who have entered illegally from nearby Comoros and other nations, with some estimates of those migrants ranging up to 100,000, according to French media.
The islands were pummeled by Chido, which brought winds in excess of 220 kph (136 mph), according to the French weather service. It was a category 4 cyclone, the second strongest on the scale, and the worst to hit Mayotte since the 1930s, Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville said.
Bieuville, the top French government official in the island group, told Mayotte la 1ere on Sunday that the death toll from the cyclone was several hundred people and could even be in the thousands.
But he added it would be extremely hard to count the deaths and many might never be recorded, partly because of the Muslim tradition of burying people within 24 hours.
Rescue teams and supplies have been sent from France and Reunion, which is being used as a bridge to get help to Mayotte. However, Mayotte’s airport remains closed to civilian flights because of extensive damage, leaving only military aircraft able to fly in and out. The airport is not expected to reopen for commercial flights until at least Dec. 19, authorities said.
Having pummeled Mayotte, the cyclone continued west and made landfall in Mozambique on Sunday. Local media in Mozambique reported that three people died in the country’s north, but that was also a very early count. Aid agencies have warned that more than 2 million people could be affected in the country.
Meanwhile, Comoros President Azali Assoumani said in a statement that the damage to his nation was minor.
In Mayotte, the main hospital suffered extensive water damage to the surgery, intensive care, emergency and maternity departments, according to Darrieussecq, the health minister. Authorities said that efforts were underway to establish a field clinic and deploy 100 additional medical personnel to the territory.
French authorities said that more than 800 more personnel were expected to arrive in the coming days. The French government said that it would use satellite data to assess the damage, prioritize aid and guide rescue teams.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau arrived Monday in Mamoudzou, according to TF1 television. French President Emmanuel Macron was set to host a meeting on the situation at the Interior Ministry’s crisis center in Paris later Monday, his office said.
Mayotte’s people have previously expressed discontent that their archipelago suffers from underinvestment and neglect by the French government.
Around three-quarters of the population lives in poverty, with a median annual disposable income roughly one-eighth that of the Paris metropolitan area, according to the French statistics agency INSEE. The territory has also faced political unrest and rising support for the far-right National Rally party, reflecting deep dissatisfaction with the political status quo.
Last year, the French army moved to quell protests on the islands after a drought and mismanagement led to water shortages.
The French Interior Ministry said that 1,600 police and gendarmerie officers were deployed soon after the cyclone struck to “help the population and prevent potential looting.”
December through to March is cyclone season in the southwestern Indian Ocean, and southern Africa has been hammered by a series of strong ones in recent years. Cyclone Idai in 2019 killed more than 1,300 people, mostly in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Cyclone Freddy left more than 1,000 dead across several countries in the Indian Ocean and southern Africa last year.
Thomas Adamson reported from Paris. Gerald Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.
Tom Nouvian in Paris, and Monika Pronczuk in Dakar, Senegal, contributed to this report.
A man walk in a damaged street in Mamoudzou, in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, Monday, Dec.16, 2024 and France uses ships and military aircraft to rush rescue workers and supplies after the island group was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. (AP Photo/Rainat Aliloiffa)
A fallen tree lies in Mamoudzou, in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, Monday, Dec.16, 2024 as France uses ships and military aircraft to rush rescue workers and supplies after the island group was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. (AP Photo/Rainat Aliloiffa)
People walk by damaged constructions in Mamoudzou, in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, Monday, Dec.16, 2024 as France uses ships and military aircraft to rush rescue workers and supplies after the island group was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. (AP Photo/Rainat Aliloiffa)
Debris are seen in a street of Mamoudzou, in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, Monday, Dec.16, 2024 and France uses ships and military aircraft to rush rescue workers and supplies after the island group was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. (AP Photo/Rainat Aliloiffa)
This photo provided on Monday Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows a member of the Gendarmerie Nationale watching an armored vehicle clearing a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)
This photo provided on Monday Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows a member of the Gendarmerie Nationale watching debris Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)
This photo provided on Monday Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows fallen trees along a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)
This photo provided on Monday Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows an armored vehicle of the Gendarmerie Nationale clearing a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)
This photo provided on Monday Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows members of the Gendarmerie Nationale sawing a tree that fell on a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)
This photo provided Monday, Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale shows French Gendarmes clearing a road, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)
This photo provided Monday, Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale shows vehicles of the Gendarmerie Nationale driving on a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)
This photo provided Monday, Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale shows a vehicle of the Gendarmerie Nationale on a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)
This photo provided Monday, Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale shows a vehicle of the Gendarmerie Nationale clearing a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)
This photo provided Monday, Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale shows Gendarmes clearing a road, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)
This photo provided on Monday Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows an armored vehicle clearing a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)
This photo provided on Monday Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows a French Gendarme walking in among debris Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)
This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the French Army shows soldiers patrolling in a military truck in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities. (Etat Major des Armées via AP)
This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the French Army shows a soldier looking at damages in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities. (Etat Major des Armées via AP)
This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the French Army shows palm tress during strong winds in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities, Saturday Dec.14, 2024. (Etat Major des Armées via AP)
This undated photo provided by NGO Medecins du Monde on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, shows a devastated hill on the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities. (Medecins du Monde via AP)
This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the French Army shows soldiers patrolling in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities. (Etat Major des Armées via AP)
This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the French Army shows soldiers removing fallen trees in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities. (Etat Major des Armées via AP)
This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the French Army shows soldiers at work to restore a building in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities, Saturday Dec.14, 2024. (Etat Major des Armées via AP)
This image taken from video released by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows massive damage from Cyclone Chido in the French territory of Mayotte, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)
This image taken from video released by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows massive damage from Cyclone Chido in the French territory of Mayotte, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)
This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the French Army shows soldiers loading relief for the island of Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities, Saturday Dec.14, 2024 in Orleans, central France. (Laure-Anne Maucorps/ Etat Major des Armées via AP)
This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the Civil Security shows soldiers and rescue workers clearing a street in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities, Saturday Dec.14, 2024. (UIISC7/Securite civile via AP)
This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the Civil Security shows rescue workers clearing an area in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities, Saturday Dec.14, 2024. (UIISC7/Securite civile via AP)
