Why Saturn's iconic rings will 'disappear' tomorrow
What's the story
This weekend, the iconic rings of Saturn will seem to "disappear" as they align edge-on with Earth.
The rare event, called a "ring plane crossing," happens every 13 to 15 years when Earth passes through Saturn's ring plane.
The next one is scheduled for tomorrow at 12:04pm EDT (9.34pm IST).
However, most people may not be able to see this celestial phenomenon.
Viewing challenges
Where to see the spectacle?
For those residing in mid-northern latitudes, Saturn will be near the pre-dawn Sun and below the slanted morning ecliptic.
Meanwhile, mid-southern latitude observers have a better chance of seeing Saturn without its rings but will have to deal with the morning twilight on the eastern horizon.
This unusual alignment makes it difficult for most skywatchers to witness this rare event.
Ring composition
A cosmic spectacle
Saturn's rings, made of water ice and tiny rock/dust particles, are leftovers of comets, asteroids or broken moons. They were ripped apart by Saturn's strong gravity over the years.
Although they stretch 273,600km across, the rings are only 10m thick. This unusual thickness makes them look thin and wispy from any angle.
But when edge-on with Earth, they reflect very little light and become almost invisible.
Orbital tilt
Saturn's orbit and ring visibility
Saturn takes 29.4 Earth years to complete an orbit around the Sun.
Its 27-degree axial tilt makes its rings appear differently from Earth.
At times, we get a clear view of them, while at other times, we see them edge-on as a thin line cutting across the planet's disk.
This change in perspective occurs as Earth moves between viewing angles while crossing Saturn's ring plane.
Future visibility
Rings will gradually become more visible
The edge-on view of Saturn's rings is a temporary effect. After this weekend, they will slowly start tilting back toward Earth and appear as a thin line within hours.
Over the next several months, the rings will gradually become more visible again.
By 2032, they shall be at their best during their period of maximum tilt as seen from Earth.