Dusty Rings in Our Solar System: Focused Observations of Uranus' Rings with
the 10-m W.M. Keck Telescope 

Imke de Pater
U. Berkeley

All four giant planets in our Solar System are surrounded by ring
systems. The rings are composed of vast numbers of particles, ranging in
size from microscopic dust to small satellites.  All rings look different
and have unique signatures. In addition to cm-to-meters sized `rocks',
all systems reveal dust in various amounts. Jupiter's ring system is
composed primarily of dust. We have observed this dust in all four ring
systems with the Keck telescope at infrared wavelengths. In 2007 the
Earth and Sun went through Uranus ring plane, which enabled unique
observing geometries.   I will focus the talk on Uranus, and concentrate
on findings from Jupiter's rings and Saturn's dusty outer ring system as
All four giant planets in our Solar System are surrounded by ring
systems. The rings are composed of vast numbers of particles, ranging in
size from microscopic dust to small satellites.  All rings look different
and have unique signatures. In addition to cm-to-meters sized `rocks',
all systems reveal dust in various amounts. Jupiter's ring system is
composed primarily of dust. We have observed this dust in all four ring
systems with the Keck telescope at infrared wavelengths. In 2007 the
Earth and Sun went through Uranus ring plane, which enabled unique
observing geometries.   I will focus the talk on Uranus, and concentrate
on findings from Jupiter's rings and Saturn's dusty outer ring system as
they relate to the uranian system.The Uranus observations are obtained
using adaptive optics techniques, most of Saturn and Jupiter via
conventional infrared observations during ring plane crossing time.