Sascha Kempf from the University of Colorado Boulder, who supports the younger age estimate, argues that Hyodo's calculations do not overturn earlier findings, as they considered additional factors in their models.

New research led by Ryuki Hyodo from the Institute of Science Tokyo suggests that Saturn's rings could be as old as 4.5 billion years, challenging the long-held belief that they are only 400 million years old.

The findings, published on December 16, 2024, in the journal Nature Geoscience, provide new insights into the formation and evolution of Saturn's rings.

Hyodo argues that the lower pollution efficiency from these impacts significantly alters age estimations, suggesting the rings could potentially be a billion years older than previously thought.

Using computer modeling, Hyodo's team demonstrated that micrometeoroids vaporize upon impact with the rings, leaving little to no residue, which helps maintain their pristine appearance.

The study found that when high-velocity particles collide with the icy rings at speeds exceeding 25 kilometers per second, both the meteoroids and some ice vaporize, creating nanoparticles and releasing gas into space.

This process implies that the rings are not significantly darkened by impacts, supporting the theory that they could be billions of years old rather than just hundreds of millions.

The research indicates that high-speed impacts generate extreme temperatures capable of vaporizing micrometeoroids, resulting in charged particles that either escape Saturn's gravity or fall into its atmosphere.

To validate their results, Hyodo and his team are conducting laboratory experiments to further explore the impacts of micrometeoroids on icy particles.

Lotfi Ben-Jaffel from the Paris Institute of Astrophysics emphasized the need for improved modeling to accurately estimate the age of Saturn's rings, viewing the new findings as a positive step forward.

The authors suggest that similar processes may also occur in the rings of Uranus and Neptune, as well as in icy moons around giant planets.

Future missions led by Hyodo aim to study Saturn's rings more closely, potentially providing direct observations of impact events.