Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun in our solar system, is renowned for its spectacular and iconic rings. These rings, composed primarily of countless icy particles and tiny rock fragments, encircle the planet in a mesmerising display of natural beauty. The stunning structures, which are prominently visible through telescopes, have fascinated astronomers and space enthusiasts for centuries. Recent studies have claimed that these structures will disappear, though it will happen millions of years later. But in 2025, those eager to photograph the famous rings will be in for surprise as they will vanish from public view due to optical illusion, according to a report in Metro.
Saturn isn't in perfect alignment with Earth - it's tilted about a 9 degree angle. By 2024, the angle would have decreased to about 3.7 degrees.
A year later, due to its movement away from the Earth, the axis of Saturn will assume a vertical position from its current tilted position, which will make the rings look like a thin horizontal strip parallel to Earth. This will make these structure too thin to see. To understand it better, it's like keeping a sheet of paper parallel to our eyes.
The phenomenon will last till 2032 when the underside of the rings will be revealed.
How were these rings formed?
Our solar system and its planets formed about 4.6 billion years ago, but according to the American space agency, these structures are relatively new.
NASA said Saturn's rings are thought to be pieces of comets and asteroids that broke up before they reached the planet, torn apart by its powerful gravity. They are made of billions of small chunks of ice and rock coated with other materials such as dust.
Saturn's ring system extends up to 282,000 kilometres from the planet, yet the vertical height is typically about 30 feet in the seven main rings.
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