The Rings of Saturnamong the most iconic objects of the Solar System, the next 23 March 2025 they will become invisible from the earth. However, it is a temporary eventthat each takes place 13.7 And 15.7 yearssimply due toinclination of the rings of the planet that will appear cutting from our perspective. Saturn, like the earth, has theinclined rotation axis about 27th Compared to its orbital plan, consequently during its orbit around the sun the inclination of the rings changes continuously, sometimes appearing cut and therefore invisible to us terrestrials. Unfortunately, on this occasion theevent will not be visiblesince Saturn has recently passed the phase of conjunction with the sun, consequently it has one small angular distance From the star that makes it completely immersed in solar glow. Appointment then a End of 2038 When the event is repeated again, with Saturn this time more distanced from the sun and visible early in the morning.
Because the rings of Saturn will disappear in 2025
There “disappearance” of Saturn’s rings is not due to their destruction (this will happen at least between 100 million years), but rather to a Perspective game. Saturn has the inclined rotation axis of 26.7 ° Compared to the orbital plane around the sun, about 3 degrees more than the terrestrial one. This means that Saturn, as well as the earth, has a seasons system With its equator that changes inclination with respect to the orbital plane, oscillating between a positive inclination of 26.7 ° and a negative of the same quantity, passing through an inclination of nothing to the orbital plane.
Since the rings they lie own along the projection of the equator of the planet, when the inclination of the equator with respect to the orbital plane is nothing, such will also be that of the rings that will therefore be cut. What has just been described applies to an observer on the sun. Since the elliptical orbit of Saturn is inclined to 2.48 ° Compared to the orbital plan of the Earth, the cutting configuration rings It does not happen at the same time for sun and earthbut with a delay of just over a month. The rings will appear of cutting from the earth the 23 Marchwhile from the sun on May 6th.
Because we will not be able to observe the phenomenon in the sky
Unfortunately this time the event will not be visible from the earth. Saturn recently passed the point of conjunction solarfor which it is found angularly very close in the sun on the celestial vault. The planet is completely immersed in solar glow, making its observation almost impossible or at least possible only with professional tools and a large dowry of observational experience. The appointment is then postponed to October 15, 2038 Since as a consequence of the relative motorcycle of land and Saturn, the rings cutting configuration comes to occur with a period between 13.7 and 15.7 years.
As mentioned, the “disappearance” of Saturn’s rings will be a temporary condition. Saturn will be in the opposition (opposite point of the celestial vault with respect to the sun) September 21, 2025appearing on that particularly brilliant date. For that moment, the inclination of the rings will have become such as to make them visible againalthough not to the full of its splendor. The moment of maximum inclination instead it will be in 2032.
