[[File:JamesClerkMaxwell-KatherineMaxwell-1869.jpg|thumb|upright|James kaj Katherine Maxwell, 1869.]]
Li fokusis sian atenton al problemo kiun estis evitante sciencistojn dum 200 jaroj: nome la naturo de la nomitaj [[Ringoj de Saturno]]. Oni ne konis kiel ili povis resti stabilaj sen rompiĝi, fordrivante aŭ frapante en [[Saturno]]n.<ref>{{harvnb|Harman|1998|pp=48–53}}</ref> La problemo venis al partikulara gravo en tiu epoko ĉar ''[[St John's College (Kembriĝo)|St John's College]]'' estis elektinta ĝin kiel temo por la premio Adams de 1857.<ref name="oxford_508">{{harvnb|Harman|2004|p=508}}</ref> Maxwell dediĉis du jarojn al la studado de la problemo, provante ke regula solida ringo ne povas resti stabila, dum likva ringo estus devigita al onda agado kaj al rompiĝo en gutoj. SinceĈar neithernenio wasel observedtio estis observita, heli concludedkonkludis, thatke thela ringsringoj mustdevas beesti composedkomponitaj ofde numerousnombraj smallmalgrandaj particlespartikloj hekiujn calledli nomis "bricker-batsbrikoj", eachĉiu independentlysendepende orbitingorbitante Saturnĉirkaŭ Saturno.<ref name="oxford_508"/> Maxwell wasricevis awardedla the £130 Adamspundojn de la Prizepremio inen 1859 forpro hissia essayeseo "On the stability of the motion of Saturn's rings" (Pri la stabileco de la movado de la Saturnaj ringoj);<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/onstabilityofmot00maxw |title=On the stability of the motion of Saturn's rings |accessdate=24 March 2014 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616221114/https://archive.org/details/onstabilityofmot00maxw |archivedate=1616a Junede junio 2015 }}</ref> heli wasestis thela onlynura entrantkandidato tokiu havefaris madesufiĉan enough headway todemarŝon submitpor anpostuli entrykandidatiĝon.<ref>{{harvnb|Mahon|2003|p=75}}</ref> HisLia workverko wasestis sotiom detaileddetalhava andkaj convincingkonvinka thatke whenkiam [[George Biddell Airy]] readlegis itĝin heli commentedkomentis "ItĜi isestas oneunu ofela thela mostplej remarkablerimarkindaj applicationsaplikoj ofde mathematics tomatematiko physicsal thatfiziko Ikiun havemi everiam seenvidis."<ref name=mactutor/> ItĜi wasestis consideredkonsiderata thela finalfina wordvorto onpri thela issueafero untilĝis directla observationsrekta byobservado thefare de la esplorflugoj de la ''[[VoyagerProgramo programVoyager|Voyager]]'' flybysen ofla the1980-aj 1980sjaroj confirmedkonfirmis la antaŭdiron de Maxwell'spredictionke thatla theringoj ringsestas werekomponitaj composed ofde particlespartikloj.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://digital.nls.uk/scientists/biographies/james-clerk-maxwell/index.html |title=James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) |publisher=National Library of Scotland |accessdate=2727a Augustde aŭgusto 2013 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006063943/http://digital.nls.uk/scientists/biographies/james-clerk-maxwell/index.html |archivedate=66a Octoberde oktobro 2013 }}</ref> Nuntempe Itoni is now understoodkomprenas, howevertamen, thatke thela rings'partikloj particlesde arela not"ringoj" stablene atestas all,tute beingstabilaj pulledkaj byestas gravitymale ontopelataj Saturnper gravito al Saturno. Tiel Theoni ringssupozas, areke expectedla toringoj vanishtute entirelymalaperos overdum thela nextvenontaj 300 millionmilionoj yearsda jaroj.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://earthsky.org/space/saturns-rings-disappearing-ring-rain-video |title=Goodbye to Saturn's Rings |publisher=EarthSky |accessdate=2020a de Februaryfebruaro 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 1857 Maxwell befriended the Reverend Daniel Dewar, who was then the Principal of Marischal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stanford.edu/group/auden/cgi-bin/auden/individual.php?pid=I20494&ged=auden-bicknell.ged |title=Very Rev. Daniel Dewar DD (I20494) |publisher=Stanford University |accessdate=27 August 2013}}</ref> Through him Maxwell met Dewar's daughter, [[Katherine Clerk Maxwell|Katherine Mary Dewar]]. They were engaged in February 1858 and married in Aberdeen on 2 June 1858. On the marriage record, Maxwell is listed as Professor of Natural Philosophy in Marischal College, Aberdeen.<ref>James Clerk Maxwell and Katherine Mary Dewar marriage certificate, Family History Library film #280176, district 168/2 (Old Machar, Aberdeen), page 83, certificate No. 65.</ref> Seven years Maxwell's senior, comparatively little is known of Katherine, although it is known that she helped in his lab and worked on experiments in [[viscosity]].<ref>{{harvnb|Maxwell|2001|p=351}}</ref> Maxwell's biographer and friend, Lewis Campbell, adopted an uncharacteristic reticence on the subject of Katherine, though describing their married life as "one of unexampled devotion".<ref>{{harvnb|Tolstoy|1982|pp=88–91}}</ref>
