Home > Ephemeris Program, NASA, Planetary Science > Ephemeris: 05/22/2026 – Uranus has rings, like Saturn

Ephemeris: 05/22/2026 – Uranus has rings, like Saturn

May 22, 2026 Leave a comment Go to comments

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Friday, May 22nd. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 4 minutes, setting at 9:12, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:06. The Moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 2:35 tomorrow morning.

Today, the planet Uranus is in conjunction with the Sun. I don’t talk about Uranus that much, because it can’t be spotted in the sky with the naked eye. However, the James Webb Space Telescope observed it, and gave our clearest view of the planet since Voyager 2 flew past it in January 1986. Uranus has a system of rings, which were discovered in March 1977. Though not visible, they blocked the light of a star. Astronomers at the time were trying to get a more accurate diameter of the planet by timing the disappearance of a star behind the planet. Extra short dips in brightness before and after the main occultation revealed the existence of the rings. Uranus also has an extreme axial tilt of 98 degrees.

The astronomical event times given in this blog are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (Lat 44.7° N, Long 85.7° W; EDT, UT – 4 hours) unless stated otherwise. Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

Plot of the occultation of star SAO 158687 by 5 thin Uranian rings before and after the occultation of the star by the planet.
Plot of the occultation of star SAO 158687 by 5 thin Uranian rings before and after the occultation of the star by the planet. The observation was performed by the NASA’s Kuiper Airborne Observatory on March 10, 1977. Credit: NASA/JPL.
Image of a portion of a Uranian ring by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in a time exposure.
Image of a portion of a Uranian ring by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in a time exposure to bring out the dim ring, causing the stars to trail behind it. Credit NASA/JPL.
Uranus and rings from the JWST
Uranus and its rings as photographed by the James Webb Space Telescope. The rings are much brighter in the infrared. Credit: NASA\CSA\ESA.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, NASA, Planetary Science
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