Where Did Saturn’s Rings Go?
The Mysterious Disappearance Of Saturn’s Majestic Rings
Whether you’re an astrology expert or space novice, you can’t think of Saturn without imagining the orb with its iconic rings. However, in 2025 these rings will temporarily become invisible to planet Earth.
The Ring Thing
First observed by astronomer Galileo Galilei in 1610, there are seven main rings of Saturn and thankfully, their disappearing act isn’t cause for concern – it’s a matter of physics. Saturn’s rings extend up to 175,000 miles from the planet, and consist of pieces of comets, crushed moons and asteroids which shattered before reaching the planet. Yet, their vertical height is only approximately ten meters in the main rings. By comparison, they are paper thin.
Alignment, Axis And Angles
Saturn isn’t in perfect alignment with Earth; it’s tilted, which provides Earth with a stunning view of its magical rings. Both planets orbit the sun, and as Saturn completes its orbit approximately every 29.4 Earth years, it leans at an angle of 26.7 degrees. So, Earth’s view of Saturn swings between the upper side of the rings when it’s tilted towards Earth, and the lower side when it is tilted away.
However, an extraordinary ringless view emerges when Earth transitions between these perspectives, passing through Saturn’s ‘ring plane’. By March 2025, the rings are set to appear side-on with Earth, meaning they will ‘vanish’ from our viewpoint. According to Vahe Peroomian, a physicist and astronomer at the University of California, the rings reflect little light from this angle, making them mostly invisible.
Rings And Roundabouts
This isn’t the first occurrence of apparent ring invisibility. In both 1995 and 2009, Earth passed through Saturn’s ring plane and they appeared close to non-existent, so stargazers have just a few months left to catch a glimpse of them before they are out of sight again. However, after their vanishing act, they will start to become more apparent to planet Earth, and by 2032, Saturn is set to reach its maximum tilt, when we will get the best view of the planet and its rings in all their splendour.
Pioneering Planets
What’s more, this rare view of Saturn provides opportunities for scientists to discover more about the planet. In previous ring plane crossings, thirteen moons of Saturn were discovered, and it is now known to have over 146 of them – the most in the solar system. Similarly, the outermost ring of Saturn (it’s E ring, named alphabetically in the order they were discovered) was first discovered and can only be seen during such events. So while we might lose sight of one wonder, we may also be gifted a glimpse of something new.
References
Kranking, C. (2023): Saturn’s Rings Will Temporarily Disappear From View in 2025. Smithsonian Magazine. Source: smithsonianmag.com
Saturn: Planet’s iconic rings to ‘disappear’ in 2025 – Source: BBC Newsround
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Jessica Lucas is a qualified English Language teaching professional and specialises in educational content creation.
