Home > Ephemeris Program, Observing > Ephemeris: 06/21/2024 – Saturn’s rings are almost edge-on this year

Ephemeris: 06/21/2024 – Saturn’s rings are almost edge-on this year

June 21, 2024

This is Ephemeris for Friday, June 21st. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 9:32, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:57. The Moon, at full today, will rise at 9:57 this evening.

Saturn’s rings change their aspect or their tilt to us over a period of nearly 30 years, the time it takes Saturn to orbit the Sun. Saturn has an axial tilt like the Earth does in its case it is 27° compared to the Earth’s 23 1/2 degrees. So as Saturn moves around the Sun and us we see those rings at different tilts to us. Currently, the angle of the rings to us is nearing zero degrees, meaning that they are going edge on to us. And being perhaps less than 100 meters thick, they will disappear entirely in telescopes from the Earth. That will happen on March 23rd next year. However, they will not go edge on to the Sun until May 6th. So between March 23rd and May 6th we will be we will be looking at the unlit or dark side of the rings. Since we’re not at in line with the Sun and Saturn, the Sun will still be illuminating the rings slightly, but we will be looking at the dark side of the rings.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Saturn's rings change.
How the appearance of the rings change as Saturn orbits the Sun. Credit: NASA Hubble.
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