Long Gone! Saturn's Iconic Rings Have Mysteriously Disappeared.
Saturn's renowned rings have apparently "disappeared" from view starting this week.
This uncommon planetary occasion has befallen because the ringed giant aligns side-on with Earth for the first time since 2009. This phenomenon, referred to as a "ring aircraft crossing," occurred over the weekend. Earth, in the intervening time, is passing through Saturn's ring plane, creating the phantasm that the rings have vanished.
The "disappearance" is due to Saturn's 26.7-degree axial tilt. As Saturn orbits the sun over its 29.4-year cycle, the rings appear to change orientation.
Every thirteen to fifteen years, Saturn's Jewels align perfectly with Earth's line of sight, making them seem almost invisible. Given that the earrings are handily tens of meters thick in most places, they grow to be truly invisible when viewed from the side.
Lamentably, the hoop aircraft crossing is hard for most skywatchers to study.
Saturn is close to the pre-dawn sun for those in mid-northern latitudes. Skywatchers in mid-southern latitudes can have a higher danger to see Saturn without its rings but will have to compete with morning twilight over the Japanese horizon.
The coolest news is that
This celestial occasion is the simplest transient. After march 2025, Saturn's orbit will regularly convey the rings again into view, only for them to vanish again in november of the same 12 months. Following this, the earrings become increasingly more seen as Saturn's tilt changes our angle yet again.
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