Saturn's rings will go away!
On March 23, 2025, Saturn’s rings will not be visible from Earth. This happens because Saturn's tilt will perfectly match with Earth. This event is called a 'ring plane crossing,' and it happens every 29.5 years.
Don't worry! Saturn's rings are still there. We just cannot see them for a few months. Scientists say the rings will return on September 21, 2025, but will go away again in November.
What are Saturn's rings?
Saturn is the second biggest planet in our solar system. It is a gas giant made of hydrogen and helium. Saturn is named after the Roman god of farming and wealth. It has 146 moons, the biggest one being Titan.
Saturn's rings are made of pieces of comets, asteroids, and broken moons. These broke apart because of Saturn's strong gravity. Galileo Galilei first saw the rings in 1610.
Saturn is 4.5 billion years old, but the rings are only 400 million years old. The rings are made of ice and rock. While some pieces are small like dust, others are big like mountains.
Saturn has seven rings, and each ring moves at a different speed. The rings are named in alphabetical order. The biggest gap between the rings A and B is called the Cassini Division. It is 2920 miles (4700 km) wide.
Will Saturn's rings go away forever?
NASA's Cassini mission ended in 2017. It showed that Saturn's rings may disappear in 100 million years. This happens because the Sun's harsh rays and small space rocks are breaking down the rings slowly.
