Why are Saturn's Rings Disappearing?
Written by Ian O'Neill
Astronomers have noticed a change on Saturn. The planet's rings are getting thinner and thinner and the details in the dark bands are getting harder to observe. What's more, at this rate, Saturn's rings will have completely vanished by Sept. 4, 2009!
But don't pack up your telescopes quite yet, there's no reason to be alarmed. This phenomenon occurs every 14 to 15 years and the explanation is down to an astronomical optical illusion called "ring plane crossing"…
In 1612, Galileo noticed something was awry with the beautiful gas giant. The distinctive rings of Saturn were shrinking until he was unable to see them any more. The situation was so strange that Galileo even stopped observing the planet (most likely through frustration!). He had discovered the rings two years earlier and was instantly entranced by them. He once wrote to his Medici patrons on the discovery in 1610: "I found another very strange wonder, which I should like to make known to their Highnesses…" so you can imagine his confusion when the rings slipped out of view.
Ring plane crossings occur periodically when the tilt and position in Saturn's orbit combine to allow astronomers a unique side-on view of the rings. Far from being a loss, looking at the paper-thin rings side-on will remove the glare from the bright rings giving astronomers a superb opportunity to see the icy moons orbiting close to Saturn. Also, Saturn's strangely blue north pole should be observable. Saturn is better known for its brown-golden clouds of gas, but in high latitudes, these clouds thin out to reveal a blue dome. Cancelling the light from Saturn's rings may provide a perfect environment to see the blue from Earth and to view the points of bright light shining off the small moons.
So dust off those telescopes, a once-in-14-year astronomical opportunity is approaching…
Source: NASA
Filed under: Astronomy, Saturn
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March 18th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Ian you are a rascal
March 19th, 2008 at 4:00 am
Maybe Al Gore has the answer
March 19th, 2008 at 5:35 am
Hi Bill,
yes I know the answer.
It is caused by the oil industry that pays me to spread the fear of global warming.
This is also killing the environmetalists because they are just abused to allow oil industry to make even more money by raising prices due to your fear.
And none of you guys will stop wasting energy and resources because you feel cheated by oil industry.
You totally forget that you deplete your planet and the resources you owe your children.
And I will get the nobel price
March 19th, 2008 at 8:35 am
Darn. I thought the answer would be global warming!
April 8th, 2008 at 10:40 am
prepare the planet ,if for more people to shift there ifv the biodiversity makes "the world is not humans' only destiny " A llah will ask youwhy you didnot come to islam while ihave shon you all myevidences "al hamdu lillahi rabbil aalamiyna" the greatness of the God who is the God of whole universe ,Mussa [a.s] in his words asked God "if anybody on earth will not worship you what will you do before THE JUDGEMENT DAY at my time(Musa's time)"? the ALLAH answered Ican brig alarger animal which can just bite in asingle bite the whole universe without it's mouth being filled up". Musa asked "where's it?"
Allah answered in his great farm (arshillah)
April 8th, 2008 at 10:50 am
no one can stop thejudgement day but mu-umin of islam can bring it abit more further,
here the universe will end one day .the islam came as visitor and leave as avisitor but congratulations comes from theGOD of mercy to those who will be in the way of islam andlive like kings on earthif they do correctly what they've been instructed by their PROPHET :MUHAMMAD(S.A.W)
April 29th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Who let the spam stay here unmolested?
June 27th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Actually everyone and everything is a figment of my imagination.
December 18th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
cool
February 24th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Good!i'll get my telescope ready!
God has made a magnificient universe!!!
March 31st, 2009 at 8:31 pm
this is not enough info for mt science report!!!!!