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Saturn's rotation -

Saturn rotates on an axis tilted by 26.7 degrees. This means that the view of its rings from Earth changes over time, with big changes every 13-15 years.

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Saturn's rotation -

The planet's full orbit takes an equivalent of approximately 29.4 Earth years. From Earth, our view of Saturn switches between the lower side when it’s tilted away from us, to the upper side of its rings when it’s tilted toward us.

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Saturn's rotation -

When Earth transitions between each of these perspectives, it passes through Saturn’s "ring plane." During these times in Earth and Saturn's orbits around the sun, we are in a space that's in line with the edge of Saturn's rings.

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A disappearing act? -

Saturn's rings will seem to disappear from view in 2025, due to a phenomenon caused by the planet's rotation on its axis.

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A disappearing act? -

It won't actually lose its rings in 2025. However, they will go "edge-on." This means the rings will reflect very little light, making them very difficult to see. 

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Invisible rings -

The rings will essentially be invisible to us here on Earth. The last time the rings went edge-on was back in 2009 and they will be exactly edge-on again on March 23, 2025.

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Return of the rings -

As both Saturn and Earth move along their orbits, the edge-on alignment will shift and the rings will be slightly visible again.

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Return of the rings -

However, this slight visibility will only be possible through large telescopes in the months following 23, March 2025. In November 2025, they will disappear again, before gradually becoming more visible over time.

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Galileo's discovery -

The renowned Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei is credited as the first person to observe Saturn, through a very rudimentary telescope, in 1610. 

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A planet "with ears" -

Galileo thought Saturn had two moons, one appearing on each side of the planet. He described it as a planet "with ears" as a result. 

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A planet "with ears" -

What he was actually seeing through his telescope were Saturn's rings. They looked like extensions or additional planetary bodies to him.

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Christiaan Huygens -

It was several decades later in 1655 that Dutch mathematician, astronomer, and physicist Christiaan Huygens discovered Saturn had a ring, or rings, that were disconnected from the planet.

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Modern telescope -

Advancements in telescope technology have made viewing the rings a normal part of modern star-gazing. Today, even basic astronomical equipment makes Saturn's rings visible from Earth.

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A rare view -

The rare view of Saturn offered by the planet and Earth going edge-on can help researchers learn more about the planet.

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Moons of Saturn -

Saturn is known to have 146 moons—the most in the solar system—and many of these were discovered by astronomers during ring plane crossings (i.e. when the rings were edge-on from our vantage point on Earth).

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Too close to the sun -

However, in 2025, viewing conditions will not be as favorable for observing the planet. Instead, Saturn will appear very close to the light-emitting sun, limiting visibility.

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Seven rings of Saturn -

In 1966, scientists first discovered the E ring of Saturn: the outermost ring of the planet's seven. This diffuse ring can only be viewed during the ring crossing. 

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Composition -

Saturn’s rings are mostly chunks of ice water. They vary in size from microscopic dust grains to boulders several yards across.

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Division -

The seven rings are named the A, B, C, D, E, F, and G rings, with each one differing in terms of brightness and transparency. There are also gaps between some of the rings, one of which is 4,800 kilometers (almost 3,000 miles) in width.

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Not yet... -

So, there's no need to panic, Saturn's rings will temporarily disappear from view in 2025. On a larger cosmic timescale though, the rings might cease to exist one day.

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Not yet... -

Although Saturn is four billion years old, its rings are relatively young. This is why they are so complex and spectacular when compared to other planets.

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Inner ring erosion -

The planet's iconic ring system is shrinking. A dusty rain of ice particles from the innermost rings of Saturn is being pulled toward the planet by its magnetic field.

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Inner ring erosion -

The "ring rain" produces enough water to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool every half-hour. It means the rings could be around halfway through their cosmic existence.

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Daylight and seasons -

A day on Saturn, or the amount of time it takes to rotate on its axis, lasts just 10.7 Earth hours. The planet also experiences seasons. 

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Daylight and seasons -

More research is needed to understand how ultraviolet light from the Sun charges the ice grains and makes them respond to Saturn’s magnetic field.

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Young when compared to the cosmos -

The rings are believed to be only around 400 million years old, making them young in cosmic terms. However, this is a matter of fierce debate. If they are halfway through their lifespan, they're believed to have between 15-400 million years left before disappearing.

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Not the only ringed planet -

Saturn is commonly known as the "ringed planet," but it's not the only one in our solar system. Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune's rings are darker and more pronounced.

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Not the only ringed planet -

Those rings might have been more pronounced like Saturn's in the past, or other rings on those planets may have encountered the same fate as what researchers believe awaits Saturn's rings, i.e. disappearing altogether.

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Missions to Saturn -

The Cassini-Huygens mission, a cooperative project between NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), and ASI (Italian Space Agency), arrived at Saturn in 2004 and ended its mission in 2017. It provided a huge amount of information about the planet, its rings, and its moons.

Sources: (NASA) (Space.com) (Chron) (Earth.com) (ABC News) (Smithsonian Magazine) (CBS News)

See also: Space tourism: would you try it?

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