Seventh ring of Saturn: Voyager says it's for real

Voyager 1 has confirmed that a suspected seventh ring of Saturn actually does exist, Monitor natural science editor Robert Cowen reports. It lies between what had been the innermost ring -- a "C" ring -- and the planet's surface, and it may extend all the way down to that surface. Although some Earth-based observations had suggested the presence of such a ring, as Voyager came in on Saturn it was not seen and its existence was discounted. Now imaging team scientists know that it does exist, because it showed up in the pictures taken by Voyager 1 as it passed under the rings and viewed them by transmitted rather than reflected sunlight.