Saturn It is famous for its rings, which give it a different appearance from all the other planets in our solar system. However, the rings are likely to “disappear” in a few months.
In March 2025, Saturn’s rings will no longer be visible from Land This is due to the tilt of the planet’s axis, which will align the rings from Earth’s perspective. This strange phenomenon is expected to significantly change the way Saturn looks from our planet, according to Earth.com.
Saturn has a tilted axis similar to Earth’s. For half of its year (one Saturn year is equivalent to 29.4 Earth years), the planet tilts toward the Sun. That’s why the tops of its rings shine, according to the publication.
On the other half, the tilt changes. The Sun illuminates Saturn’s south side and the underside of its rings. On two occasions in Saturn’s orbit, the rings face directly toward the Sun, an event called the equinox. Both hemispheres of Saturn receive the same amount of sunlight during this brief period, according to the publication.
Saturn’s axis tilts about 27 degrees along its path around the Sun. Over its 29.5-year journey, this tilt affects how sunlight hits the planet’s rings and moons, altering their appearance, the publication reported.
The rings are composed mainly of ice, rock fragments and Space dust, which forms a distinctive image when viewed through a telescope.
Are the rings gone forever?
Saturn’s rings are not gone forever. They temporarily disappear every 29.5 years, when the planet completes its orbit around the Sun. After March 2025, they will become visible again due to the tilt of Saturn’s axis. However, they will disappear again in November of the same year, Earth.com reported.
In the 17th century, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei observed the planet through a basic telescope. His equipment was not advanced, leading him to describe Saturn as a planet with “ears.”
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