Contains:  Solar system body or event
7 Years of Saturn (gif), Ryan Betts

7 Years of Saturn (gif)

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

I found a bunch of my old photos and discovered that I've taken a photo of Saturn every year since I started this hobby back in 2012. This gif shows the dramatic changes in the tilt of the rings as well as the improvement of imaging/processing techniques and equipment.

The change is due to Saturn's axial tilt so we see Saturn from a different vantage point as Saturn slowly revolves around the Sun.

Currently we are looking down on Saturn above the planet's north pole. Only in the 2012 image and barely in the 2013 can you see the south pole. I think by next year or 2020, the planet's south pole will start to poke out from beneath the rings and we will see more and more of it until it appears upside-down to what we see now (our vantage point will be under Saturn's south pole)

Saturn's year is 29 Earth years so the next time we will see Saturn as it appeared in 2012 is in the year 2041.

Comments