On Sunday, March 23, 2025, Saturn’s iconic rings will seemingly vanish from view. The gas giant’s rings have been gradually tilting edge-on, as seen from Earth, for the past seven years, and this weekend, they will become invisible.
Here’s why Saturn’s rings are about to disappear — and when they will return to the night sky.
Saturn’s Rings: Why They Are ‘Disappearing’
Saturn completes an orbit around the sun every 29 Earth years while rotating on an axis tilted at 27 degrees. Much like Earth, this tilt causes Saturn to experience seasons. Every 14.5 years, the planet’s rings align perfectly with our line of sight, making them appear as a thin, nearly imperceptible sliver.
That moment comes on March 23, though it’s more relevant to the rest of the year. On March 12, Saturn was in conjunction with the sun, so lost in its glare, as seen from Earth. Although it’s now visible low on the eastern horizon just before sunrise, the best time to look at Saturn is opposition — when Earth is between it and the sun. Only then is Saturn fully lit up — akin to a full moon — and brightest in Earth’s sky.
Saturn’s Rings: When The Planet Is Next At ‘Opposition’
Saturn will be at opposition on September 21, 2025, although it won’t be much of a year to observe Saturn’s rings precisely because the view will be very narrow. However, the view will widen as the rings tilt back toward Earth.
That will continue until 2032, so expect more attention on Saturn in the coming years as it becomes a spectacular view in a telescope.
Saturn’s Rings: Why They Exist
Why does Saturn have rings? Saturn’s rings are made from dust and water particles but are around 98% ice. They’re about a mile thick and stretch to 87,000 miles (140,000 kilometers) from the planet. But they may be far younger than previously thought, according to a paper published in 2022. The authors believe Saturn’s rings were caused by a moon called Chrysalis, torn apart about 160 million years ago by the giant planet’s tidal forces. Since the planet is around 4.5 billion years old, that means Saturn has had rings for just 3.5% of its life — making us incredibly lucky to be able to see them. The same researchers also think Saturn’s tilt is caused partly by Neptune and partly by the migration of Saturn’s giant moon, Titan, closer to it.
Various other theories about why Saturn has rings have been offered over the years, including one suggesting that they are the remains of a comet that got too close. According to NASA, when they’ll be pulled into Saturn by its gravity in about 100 million years.
Saturn’s Rings: Did Earth Have Rings Like Saturn?
Earth may have once had temporary rings formed from asteroid dust about 466 million years ago, according to a paper published in 2024. The authors postulated that an asteroid breaking up in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter may have sent debris toward Earth, where it caused meteorites to strike Earth’s surface — and rings around the planet. By blocking sunlight, those rings may have caused an ice age.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
