Saturn without rings

After its conjunction with the Sun a few weeks ago, Saturn is again visible in the dawn sky. But unlike the last time I left it - it was on 16 February - it now appears WITHOUT rings.

In fact, every 15 years or so, when the planet shows itself perfectly cut off from the Earth, its thin rings disappear from view.

This time the phenomenon occurred on 23 March - 5 weeks after my last observation - when, however, the planet was undetectable because it was in close conjunction with the Sun. Yet in this period, more than 5 weeks after that day, its rings ARE still INVISIBLE: they will come back after the Saturn's equinox, that is after 6th of May, when the Sun will illuminate the side of the rings facing the Earth. By the way they are NOT visible through a telescope, even at high magnifications.

The phenomenon was first observed by Galileo Galilei in 1612. He was never able to understand the nature of those 'ears' attached to Saturn, and having observed for about 2 years that the appearance of the three-bodied planet had remained virtually unchanged, the sudden disappearance of the rings was for him 'an unexpected marvel':

《Now what is there to say in such a strange metamorphosis? Perhaps the two minor stars have consumed themselves in the manner of sunspots? Perhaps they disappeared and abruptly fled? Perhaps Saturn has devoured its own children? 》

wrote to Marco Velseri on 1 December 1612. Curiously enough, according to Greek cosmogony, Cronus - Saturn for the Romans - devoured his children for fear that they would oust him, just as it seemed to have happened.

Although he did not understand the reason for that marvellous disappearance, Galileo had no doubts at all about their return. And so it was.

Today, more than 400 years after that first time, in front of that no longer unexpected disappearance and that no longer indubitable reappearance, there is still the same astonishment.

Sky-Watcher dobson telescope 18" and Huawei p30 pro - 216x

Gimp