Rings are one of the oldest symbols representing human relationships. From the earliest records we can find that men, as well as women, wear bands on their fingers. A ring is actually a circular band, normally of solid metal, often with precious stones set into it. The word “ring” on its own always refers to jewelry worn around the finger; in other words, when worn on another body part, the body part is specifically defined within the term, such as earrings, finger rings, wrist rings, etc. Traditionally, men wore rings on their left hands while women preferred those on their right hands.
In some cultures, wearing rings has been a way for a woman to garner the attention of her husband or groom, symbolizing the sanctity of marriage. In some cultures, rings are also used as a status symbol; in countries like Japan and China, for example, young men are trained to master the craft of creating and then wearing gold rings as a sign of their adulthood and stature within their social group. These rings are often passed down from father to son as a family heirloom.
There is much evidence to suggest that rings may have originated with our Planet Earth. During the construction of the planets by the planets orbiting around it, meteorites and other space debris could have struck the surface creating rings. Many rings on planets have long since eroded away, but others remain, seemingly intact, as evidence of a long time between creation and their appearance on our planet. Such evidence would seem to imply that our Planet Saturn, which is very similar in composition to Earth’s rings, received a great deal of bombardment by space debris and may have therefore been responsible for the formation of rings on our Planet Earth.
Many people believe that planetary rings are signs of some type of spiritual significance. Many religions have a history of creating their own form of planetary rings as signs of their adherence to certain principles or as a way of devotion. For some cultures, planetary rings are considered symbols of love and loyalty. For other cultures, they are seen as protective features to help ward off evil spirits. Regardless of their true meaning, the undeniable fact that there are many different kinds of planetary rings available to the public today leads anyone to wonder just what they mean.
The existence of different types of rings has led scientists to wonder if there may be some correlation between the way a gas planet like Mars produces rings and the composition of its inner regions, which are relatively dry and devoid of any water molecules. They also theorize that the distribution of rocky particles on the outer portion of these inner gases could explain why there are no clouds visible in the planetary rings. If such particles exist, they could be a way to block out the harmful ultraviolet rays created by the sun, while creating a temperature close to freezing that would keep the water molecules frozen as well. Scientists have theorized that this could be why our moon has virtually ice-free surfaces throughout most of its circumference.
Another possible connection between these rings and our solar system comes from the existence of several extrasolar planets in our galaxy. Several of these have been found to have some similarities in their chemical composition to elements that make up the so-called “gas planets” such as Saturn and Uranus. It is believed that these gases act as insulators and that this may explain why none of the rings on these gas planets were discovered until researchers began to observe them closely. In addition, several of these extrasolar planets, namely Sedna and Triton, appear to have a similar mass which could allow for water-based life to exist within their atmospheres. Such life could be possible because these types of planets are very similar in composition to Earth’s oceans.