<p>If Earth had rings, how long would it take for the rings to loose orbit? One of the answers in this question <a href="https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/281828/if-earth-had-rings">https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/281828/if-earth-had-rings</a> said we did at one time is it possible? <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/hSxVI.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/hSxVI.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-02T16:28:19.480Z
I doubt you'll find a good estimate, but if you are interested in this subject I'd suggest search for "stability of ring systems" on the web and some papers ought to crop up.
StephenG - Help Ukraine
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-03T01:04:18.603Z
Too add to what @StephenG said.  Ring systems like Saturn's are probably stable for several to many millions of years.  A ring system on a planet subject to the tides Earth is subject to from the Moon and Sun would probably have a shorter life-span.   I wouldn't want to guess how much shorter, but possibly an order of magnitude or two shorter, maybe more.
userLTK
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-03T07:47:10.490Z
From the (very) little I understand about this I gather that the mass and makeup of the rings has more significance in determining stability than might seem likely at first thought.
StephenG - Help Ukraine
<orbit><gravity><earth><planetary-ring>
If Earth had rings, how long would it take for the rings to loose orbit?
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# If Earth had rings, how long would it take for the rings to loose orbit?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-12-02)

If Earth had rings, how long would it take for the rings to loose orbit? One of the answers in this question <https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/281828/if-earth-had-rings> said we did at one time is it possible? [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/hSxVI.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/hSxVI.jpg)

**Tags:** orbit, gravity, earth, planetary-ring

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I doubt you'll find a good estimate, but if you are interested in this subject I'd suggest search for "stability of ring systems" on the web and some papers ought to crop up.  
> **username_2**: Too add to what @username_1 said.  Ring systems like Saturn's are probably stable for several to many millions of years.  A ring system on a planet subject to the tides Earth is subject to from the Moon and Sun would probably have a shorter life-span.   I wouldn't want to guess how much shorter, but possibly an order of magnitude or two shorter, maybe more.  
> **username_1**: From the (very) little I understand about this I gather that the mass and makeup of the rings has more significance in determining stability than might seem likely at first thought.  

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