‘Disappearing’ rings around Saturn has astronomers and astrologists excited for very different reasons
Saturn’s rings will “disappear” on Sunday in a rare space event that won’t happen again until 2038. For astrology believers, it marks a “cosmic reset” and time for life change. This is why.
For lovers of astronomy Saturn’s “disappearing rings” on Sunday will be a rare and fascinating event but for believers in astrology, it marks a “cosmic reset”.
When Saturn appears completely stripped of its rings next week, many who believe in the stars and spirituality say it signals a time for people to confront their boundaries, karma and personal discipline, in order to become more flexible and trusting.
But the distant planet will not really lose its famous rings — it’s just an optical effect that happens about every 13 to 15 years, when Saturn’s rings line up perfectly, edge-on, from our perspective on Earth.
Swinburne University astrophysicist Dr Kirsten Banks said Saturn would “appear ringless” high in the night sky just after sunset on, or around, November 23.
“If you have binoculars or a small telescope, it’s definitely worth taking a look – we won’t see this happen again until 2038,” she said.
The celestial event comes after a super beaver moon lit up Australian skies earlier this month.
Dr Banks said because Saturn’s rings were so thin, when they were observed from Earth “edge-on” they effectively vanished from view, making the planet look “bare”.
The sixth planet from the sun in our solar system, Saturn is celebrated for its breathtaking ring system, made up of pieces of comets, asteroids or shattered moons.
According to NASA, the ring particles range from tiny, dust-sized icy grains to chunks as big as a house.
While Saturn is not the only planet to have rings, no others are as spectacular or complex — and Saturn also has dozens of moons, NASA says.
“Starting at Saturn and moving outward, there is the D ring, C ring, B ring, Cassini Division, A ring, F ring, G ring, and finally, the E ring. Much further out, there is the very faint Phoebe ring in the orbit of Saturn’s moon Phoebe,” it says.
“Saturn took shape when the rest of the solar system formed about 4.5 billion years ago when gravity pulled swirling gas and dust in to become this gas giant. About 4 billion years ago, Saturn settled into its current position in the outer solar system, where it is the sixth planet from the sun. Like Jupiter, Saturn is mostly made of hydrogen and helium, the same two main components that make up the sun.”
Originally published as ‘Disappearing’ rings around Saturn has astronomers and astrologists excited for very different reasons
