What if the Earth had rings?
Jessica Wood
Updated on January 20, 2026
The rings would probably reflect so much sunlight that the planet would never fully plunge into darkness, but remain in a gentle twilight even in the depth of night. During the day, the rings could potentially cause light levels on Earth to skyrocket [source: Atkinson].
planet
(1) A "planet"1 is a celestial body that: (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.
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