• Education
    • Higher Education
    • Scholarships & Grants
    • Online Learning
    • School Reforms
    • Research & Innovation
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Home & Living
    • Relationships & Family
  • Technology & Startups
    • Software & Apps
    • Startup Success Stories
    • Startups & Innovations
    • Tech Regulations
    • Venture Capital
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cybersecurity
    • Emerging Technologies
    • Gadgets & Devices
    • Industry Analysis
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
Today Headline
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
Today Headline
No Result
View All Result
Home Science & Environment

Saturn’s Rings Will Disappear in 2025, but for How Long? todayheadline

December 20, 2024
in Science & Environment
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
0
Saturn’s Rings Will Disappear in 2025, but for How Long?
7
SHARES
16
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

In 2025, Saturn’s spectacular rings will disappear. But it won’t be too long before they come back into sight in all their splendor. Their disappearance, after all, is all a matter of perspective.

A combination of thin rings, Saturn’s tilt, and Earth’s own orbital movements will make the rings disappear from our perspective. Saturn’s rings will be nearly edge on for the whole year, but we will see them totally edge on in March and November, says Jonti Horner, astrobiologist and astronomer at the University of Southern Queensland.

That means viewing the rings through anything other than a very powerful telescope will be close to impossible. The last time this happened was in 2009 and it will continue to occur for years to come.

“If you want to see the rings, now’s your chance, because they’re going away for a couple of years,” says Horner. “But they will be back.”

Disappearing Saturn’s Rings

There are several complex factors that make the temporary disappearance of the rings possible. First is the relatively thin width of the rings that wrap around Saturn’s equator, says Horner.

Despite being a whopping 282,000 kilometers across, the rings measure only a few meters in thickness at certain points.

“They stretch out multiple times the planet’s radius, and they’re really thin, so that if you were ever looking at them perfectly edge on, you’re just not going to see them unless you’ve got an incredibly powerful telescope,” he says.

Another factor is that Saturn has seasons as it orbits the sun, just like we do on Earth. Unlike Earth, however, Saturn takes approximately 29.4 years to orbit the sun.

“If you’re looking at Saturn while it’s got its seasons, it would appear to nod towards you, back and forwards as it goes round the sun, because it’s tilted,” says Horner, this tilt is crucial because it means our perspective from Earth shifts.

“From our point of view, we see Saturn nodding backwards and forwards, which means twice in every Saturn orbit, we get the rings pretty much edge on,” says Horner.

When referencing Saturn “edge on,” Horner says it is like holding a thin piece of paper horizontally in front of you. Doing so makes the paper almost disappear. Because of Earth’s own wobbling orbit, the rings are hardly visible twice in one year.


Read More: How Did Saturn Get Its Rings?


A Transient Phenomenon

But one day, Saturn will lose its rings for good. That’s because due to its immense size, the planet’s gravitational pull is dragging the icy particles and fragments that form the rings down. NASA scientists have estimated that the full disappearance of the rings won’t occur for at least 100 million years.

“Most people seem to accept that on time scales of 10’s of 100’s of millions of years, Saturn’s rings will gradually get less and less impressive, and then go away, unless they’re replenished from somewhere,” says Horner.

Saturn’s rings are thus viewed as a “transient phenomenon.” It’s possible that Mars, for example, once had its own impressive ring belt and it may have it again in around 70 million years as its moon, Phobos, tumbles inwards on its orbit and disintegrates. Fragments could form rings.

So, questions remain about Saturn’s rings, says Horner. “The rings have been known in one form or another for about 400 years,” he says. “You’d think we had a good handle on what they are, but there are still people doing research into how long lived they are and what their origin was.”

But what is certain is that when they slide out of view in 2025, Saturn’s rings will return. By 2032, the rings will face Earth again offering stargazers a perfect opportunity to see them. They likely won’t be disappearing completely for millions of years.


Read More: Mysterious, Saturn-Like Stars Steal Their Rings From Nearby Stars


Article Sources

Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:


Sean Mowbray is a freelance writer based in Scotland. He covers the environment, archaeology, and general science topics. His work has also appeared in outlets such as Mongabay, New Scientist, Hakai Magazine, Ancient History Magazine, and others.

Tags: Earth Sciencespace exploration
Previous Post

The case to build a new ISS: the International Solar Sunshade

Next Post

Sri Lanka won’t allow harming economy, country in Indian projects: FM todayheadline

Related Posts

woman clenching stomach

Fecal Transplants Present a Concerning Risk For Some, Study Finds : ScienceAlert todayheadline

June 18, 2025
4
ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Petition: Help Find Who Decapitated a Dolphin in North Carolina

June 18, 2025
6
Next Post

Sri Lanka won’t allow harming economy, country in Indian projects: FM todayheadline

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

April 2, 2025
Pioneering 3D printing project shares successes

Product reduces TPH levels to non-hazardous status

November 27, 2024

Police ID man who died after Corso Italia fight

December 23, 2024

Hospital Mergers Fail to Deliver Better Care or Lower Costs, Study Finds todayheadline

December 31, 2024
Harris tells supporters 'never give up' and urges peaceful transfer of power

Harris tells supporters ‘never give up’ and urges peaceful transfer of power

0
Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend's Mother

Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother

0

Trump ‘looks forward’ to White House meeting with Biden

0
Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

0
Walmart is selling a 'sturdy' $177 6-foot folding table for only $57, and it's perfect for summer parties

Walmart is selling a 'sturdy' $177 6-foot folding table for only $57, and it's perfect for summer parties todayheadline

June 18, 2025
Goldman Sachs leveraging revamp to boost Asia investment banking share, says regional top banker

Goldman Sachs leveraging revamp to boost Asia investment banking share, says regional top banker todayheadline

June 18, 2025
woman clenching stomach

Fecal Transplants Present a Concerning Risk For Some, Study Finds : ScienceAlert todayheadline

June 18, 2025
ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Petition: Help Find Who Decapitated a Dolphin in North Carolina

June 18, 2025

Recent News

Walmart is selling a 'sturdy' $177 6-foot folding table for only $57, and it's perfect for summer parties

Walmart is selling a 'sturdy' $177 6-foot folding table for only $57, and it's perfect for summer parties todayheadline

June 18, 2025
1
Goldman Sachs leveraging revamp to boost Asia investment banking share, says regional top banker

Goldman Sachs leveraging revamp to boost Asia investment banking share, says regional top banker todayheadline

June 18, 2025
5
woman clenching stomach

Fecal Transplants Present a Concerning Risk For Some, Study Finds : ScienceAlert todayheadline

June 18, 2025
4
ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Petition: Help Find Who Decapitated a Dolphin in North Carolina

June 18, 2025
6

TodayHeadline is a dynamic news website dedicated to delivering up-to-date and comprehensive news coverage from around the globe.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Basketball
  • Business & Finance
  • Climate Change
  • Crime & Justice
  • Cybersecurity
  • Economic Policies
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Policies
  • Europe
  • Football
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Health
  • Medical Research
  • Mental Health
  • Middle East
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Politics
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Science & Environment
  • Software & Apps
  • Space Exploration
  • Sports
  • Stock Market
  • Technology & Startups
  • Tennis
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Us & Canada
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • World News

Recent News

Walmart is selling a 'sturdy' $177 6-foot folding table for only $57, and it's perfect for summer parties

Walmart is selling a 'sturdy' $177 6-foot folding table for only $57, and it's perfect for summer parties todayheadline

June 18, 2025
Goldman Sachs leveraging revamp to boost Asia investment banking share, says regional top banker

Goldman Sachs leveraging revamp to boost Asia investment banking share, says regional top banker todayheadline

June 18, 2025
  • Education
  • Lifestyle
  • Technology & Startups
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2024 Todayheadline.co

Welcome Back!

OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Business & Finance
  • Corporate News
  • Economic Policies
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Market Trends
  • Crime & Justice
  • Court Cases
  • Criminal Investigations
  • Cybercrime
  • Legal Reforms
  • Policing
  • Education
  • Higher Education
  • Online Learning
  • Entertainment
  • Awards & Festivals
  • Celebrity News
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Health
  • Fitness & Nutrition
  • Medical Breakthroughs
  • Mental Health
  • Pandemic Updates
  • Lifestyle
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Food & Drink
  • Home & Living
  • Politics
  • Elections
  • Government Policies
  • International Relations
  • Legislative News
  • Political Parties
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Middle East
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Cybersecurity
  • Emerging Technologies
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Industry Analysis
  • Basketball
  • Football
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Climate Change
  • Environmental Policies
  • Medical Research
  • Science & Environment
  • Space Exploration
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • Sports
  • Tennis
  • Technology & Startups
  • Software & Apps
  • Startup Success Stories
  • Startups & Innovations
  • Tech Regulations
  • Venture Capital
  • Uncategorized
  • World News
  • Us & Canada
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Travel
  • Research & Innovation
  • Scholarships & Grants
  • School Reforms
  • Stock Market
  • TV & Streaming
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
  • About us
  • Contact

© 2024 Todayheadline.co