Generations of astronomers and amateur stargazers have known Saturn as the only one of the solar system's nine planets that is encircled by rings. Now Saturn has lost that distinction. A team of Cornell University astronomers reported last week that they have discovered rings around remote Uranus, the seventh planet from the sun.
The Cornell team, headed by Astronomer James Elliot, made its observation last month while flying in a specially equipped C-141 "airborne observatory" through the night sky southwest of Australia. The astronomers had aimed the aircraft's 90-cm. (36-in.) telescope at Uranus, which was passing in front of a distant star...