Saturn's Rings Visible Edge-on Tonight
Tonight, night sky observers will have the opportunity to view Saturn's rings edge-on, an astronomical phenomenon that happens only once every 15 years.
Comments:
I think the picture in the article is slightly inacurate. Although the rings are edge on, we should still see their shadow because Saturn is not 180 degress from the Sun in our sky.<br><br>Never mind, my friend just pointed out to me that the picture does show a very slight shadow. That raises the question of how often do the rings appear edge on with a minimal shadow?
I was fortunate to be able to observe for 3 nights earlier this week. I believe it was Tuesday, and ring inclination was slight but noticeable at 178X. Even at 118X the "thickness" of the ring was quite noticeable. I thought - perhaps incorrectly - that there was actually a path accross earth within which the rings seem to "disappear". <br><br>The last few days and the next few will be clouded over, but considering that I saw "dark space" on Tuesday nigt I will probably see not be able to see Saturn "sans ring" this time around. I guess I can try again when I am age 70. Doing it at 84 might be a stretch.<br><br>One question: Is there any record of an amateur recording an image of other "rings" in the solar system?
Saturn is so far away that your location here on Earth makes no difference in your view of the rings. The ring tilt is now increasing and will reach a maximum in mid-May (tipped about4 degrees), and then it will decrease until our passage through the ring plane on September 4. Unfortunately Saturn will be not far from the Sun by then and only seen very briefly in the evening sky.<br><br>Clear skies, Alan
The comment "the rings have now passed being exactly edge-on" is incorrect. The rings will be exactly edge-on on 9/4/2009. <br><br>At the beginning of 2009 the ring tilt was -1 degree (negative because Saturn's north pole is tipped away from us). The tilt has been increasing since then, and will reach a little over -4 degrees in mid-May. After that it will decrease until the Earth passes through Saturn's ring plane on September 4.<br><br>The bottom line is that you have plenty of time to enjoy a view of Saturn's near edge-on rings. Unfortunately, Saturn will not be far from the Sun during ring passage. From my upstate NY location Saturn will be a little less than 6 degrees above the horizon at sunset.<br><br>Clear skies, Alan<br>
I was confused by this article as well. The ring plane crossing is in September not March!
<blockquote class="blockquote"><div class="italic"><i>Alan French said:</i><br><br>The comment "the rings have now passed being exactly edge-on" is incorrect. The rings will be exactly edge-on on 9/4/2009. <br><br><br>Clear skies, Alan<br></div></blockquote><br>The whole article is wrong or at least misleading...the way I read it, it says the ring plane crossing was last night.<br>
It didn't look exactly edge on to me
<blockquote class="blockquote"><div class="italic"><i>Timm Bottoni said:</i><br><br>It didn't look exactly edge on to me </div></blockquote><br>They are not exactly edge on. They were tipped -2.3 degrees (the minus indicating the north pole is tipped away from our vantage point) on March 1 and it has been increasing since then. On April 1 the tip will be -3.4. They will reach a maximum tip just over -4 degrees in mid-May and then start closing until the Earth passes through the ring plane on September 4.<br><br>Clear skies, Alan
We were observing it both Friday and saturday nights and it was easy to see that the rings were not edge on. Close but not quite. Very beautiful sight in any case.
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