How to fragment a moon to form a ring around a planet

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You could certainly try.

A less sensible method, if your local astrotech store sells them, is to get hold of a mass transporter and a matter inversion matrix (though in many timelines the latter comes in around the year 4121). This would enable you to move dense objects such as small neutron stars around. If you can then vaporise the Moon's core as suggested in the comments (usually by introducing some intense heat to vaporise the rock inside), you would be able to move your neutron star into the core of the moon. This would collapse the moon. Soon after this (15 seconds or so), you use your matter inversion matrix to destroy the neutron star, causing a small explosion due to the lack of gravity (this is why you need to make sure to use a small neutron star).

Alternatively, if you don't have a ready source of intense heat, you could detonate a big bomb in the moon such that it expands for long enough to insert the neutron star, then the matter is pulled together again.

^{Disclaimer: This method does not guarantee all the fragments enter a ring, though most will. No responsibility can be accepted for damage to nearby planets from flying Moon fragments.}

If you want to be more sensible, I suggest looking at Tim B's answer. The Roche limit is always a good way to destroy celestial objects. In fact, I think I remember the Varga using it to destroy Mercury in 3112...

Or, of course, just a really big bomb.

posted over 9 years ago