SATURN RING CROSSINGS
-------------------------------------
John Pazmino
NYSkies Astronomy Inc
www.nyskies.org
nyskies@nyskies.org
2021 September 19 initial
2022 July 6 current
Introduction
----------
At the digital NYSkies Seminar of 2021 September 3 I discussed
the
edgeon phase of Saturn's rings. The previous occurrence was in
2009
and the next is in 2025.
since then by comments from my audience, I revised the existing
article on saturn's rings, now in the web at
www.nyskies.org/articles/pazmino/satrings.htm
Some of the comments inquired about other edgeon phases, even in
the far past times. I was sent to a complete table of these
events,
presented here, adapted from ww.obliquity.com. It spans the 17th
thru
22nd centuries and includes the sun's ring crossing in addition
to the
Earth's. This is important because when Earth and sun are on the
same
side of the rings, that side is lighted. On opposite sides, the
facing
side toward Earth is unlighted.
The observability of a crossing is a function of Saturn's
location
in the zodiac relative to the Sun. Check the sky with planetarium
software set to the crossing date.
Table of ring crossings
---------------------
For each crossing is given the UT date, the polarity of crossing
for either Earth or Sun, the lighting on the exposed ring face.
Instances of crossing are separated by '---'. Centuries are
separated by '==='.
Each instance has one crossing by Sun but may have one or three
crossing by Earth. After each crossing both Earth and Sun are on
the
same side of he rings, the side opposite of that before the
instance.
That is, the crossing flips the rings from north side facing
Earth to
south, or vice versa.
------------------------------------------------------
Date (UT) Earth Sun Facing side ilghting
---------- ---------------- ---===================
30 Dec 1612 North-South Unlighted for 49 days
17 Feb 1613 North-South A Lighted for 13.5 years
--------------------------------------------------------
26 Aug 1626 South-North Unlighted for 9 days
4 Sep 1626 South-North Lighted for 15.6 years
---------------------------------------------------
29 Mar 1642 North-South Unlighted for 78 days
15 Jun 1642 North-South Lighted for 126 days
20 Oct 1642 South-North Unlighted for 58 days
16 Dec 1642 North-South Lighted for 12.8 years
--------------------------------------------------------
20 Oct 1655 South-North Unlighted for 124 days
20 Feb 1656 South-North Lighted for 19 days
10 Mar 1656 North-South Unlighted for 128 days
16 Jul 1656 South-North Lighted for 14.9 years
--------------------------------------------------------
28 May 1671 North-South Unlighyed for 56 days
23 Jul 1671 South-North Lighted for 135 days
5 Dec 1671 North-South Unlighted for 69 days
12 Feb 1672 North-South Lighted for 13.5 years
--------------------------------------------------------
5 Aug 1685 South-North Unlighted for 25 days
30 Aug 1685 South-North Lighted for 15.6 years
=======================================================
23 Mar 1701 North-South Unlighted for 57 days
19 May 1701 North-South Lighted for 13.4 years
--------------------------------------------------------
14 Oct 1714 South-North Unlighted for 107 days
29 Jan 1715 South-North Lighted for 52 days
23 Mar 1715 North-South Unlighted for 109 days
10 Jul 1715 South-North Lighted for 14.9 years
-------------------------------------------------------
14 May 1730 North-South Unlighted for 89 days
11 Aug 1730 South-North Lighted for 89 days
8 Nov 1730 North-South Unlighted for 90 days
6 Feb 1731 North-South Lighted for 13.4 years
------------------------------------------------------
14 Jul 1744 South-North Unlighted for 43 days
25 Aug 1744 South-North Lighted for 15.6 years
--------------------------------------------------------
16 Mar 1760 North-South Unlighted for 33 days
17 Apr 1760 North-South Lighted for 13.5 years
------------------------------------------------------
7 Oct 1773 South-North Unlighted for 88 days
3 Jan 1774 South-North Lighted for 93 days
6 Apr 1774 North-South Unlighted for 84 days
29 Jun 1774 South-North Lighted for 14.8 years
----------------------------------------------------------
1 May 1789 North-South Unlighted for 118 days
27 Aug 1789 South-North Lighted for 40 days
6 Oct 1789 North-South Unlighted for 114 days
28 Jan 1790 North-South Lighted for 12.9 years
========================================================
21 Dec 1802 South-North Unlighted for 11 days
1 Jan 1803 North-South Lighted for 168 days
18 Jun 1803 South-North Unlighted for 64 days
21 Aut 1803 South-North Lighted for 15.6 years
------------------------------------------------------------
10 Mar 1819 North-South Unlighted for 6 days
16 Mar 1819 North-South Lighted for 13.5 years
---------------------------------------
30 Sep 1832 South-North Unlighted for 65 days
3 Dec 1832 South-North Lighted for 146 days
28 Apr 1833 North-South Unlighted for 43 days
11 Jun 1833 South-North Lighted for 14.9 years
-------------------------------------------------------------
21 Apr 1848 North-South unlighted for 113 days
1 Sep 1848 North-South Lighted for 12 days
13 Sep 1848 South-North Unlighted for 128 days
19 Jan 1849 North-South Lighted for 12.8 years
----------------------------------------------------------
22 Nov 1861 South-North Unlighted for 71 days
2 Feb 1862 North-South ÑÑLighted for 104 days
17 May 1862 Sout- North Unlighted for 88 days
12 Aug 1862 South-North Lighted for 15.5 years
-------------------------------------------------------
6 Feb 1878 North-South Unlighted for 23 days
1 Mar 1878 North-South Lighted for 13.6 years
--------------------------------------------------
22 Sep 1891 South-North Unlighted for 38 days
30 Oct 1891 South-North Lighted for 15.5 years
==========================================================
13 Apr 1907 North-South Ñ Unlighted for 105 days
27 Jul 1907 North-South Lighted for 69 days
3 Oct 1907 South-North Unlighted for 96 days
7 Jan 1908 North-South Lighted for 12.8 years
----------------------------------------------------------
8 Nov 1920 South North Ñ UnliU ghted for 106 days
22 Feb 1921 North-South Ñ Lighted for 49 days
12 Apr 1921 South-North Unlighted for 114 days
4 Aug 1921 South-North Lighted for 15.4 years
----------------------------------------------------------
29 Dec 1936 North-South Unlighted for 54 days
21 Feb 1937 North-South Lighted for 13.6 years
----------------------------------------------------------
14 Sep 1950 South-North Unlighted for 8 days
21 Sep 1950 South-North Lighted for 15.5 years
------------------------------------------------------------
2 Apr 1966 North-South Unlighted for 75 days
16 Jun 1966 North South Lighted for 134 days
28 Oct 1966 SouthNorth Unlighted for 51 days
18 Dec 1966 North South Lighted for 12.9 years
------------------------------------------------------
27 Oct 1979 South-North Unlighted for 128 days
3 Mar 1980 South-North Lighted for 9 days
12 Mar 1980 North-South Unlighted for 133 days
23 Jul 1980 South-North Lighted for 14.8 years
-----------------------------------------------------
22 May 1995 North-South Unlighted for 81 days
10 Aug 1995 Sout-North Lighted for 101 days
19 Nov 1995 North South Unlighted for 84 days
12 Feb 1996 North-South Lighted for 13.5 years
===========================================================
11 Aug 2009 South -North Unlighted for 25 days
4 Sep 2009 South-North Lighted for 15.6 years
--------------------------------------------
23 Mar 2025 North-South Ñ Unlighted for 44 days
6 May 2025 North-South Lighted for 13.4 years
---------------------------------------------------------------
15 Oct 2038 South-North Unlighted for 99 days
22 Jan 2039 South-North Lighted for 69 days
1 Apr 2039 North-South Unlighted for 99 days
9 Jul 2039 South-North Lighted for 14.8 years
----------------------------------------------------
6 May 2054 North-South Unlighted for 117 days
31 Aug 2054 South-North Lighted for 40 days
10 Oct 2054 North-South Unlighted for 114 days
1 Febr 2055 North-South Lighted for 13.4 years
-----------------------------------------------------------
29 Jun 2068 South--North Unlighted for 57 days
25 Aug 2068 South-North Lighted for 15.6 years
-------------------------------------------------------
14 Mar 2084 North-South Unlighted for 13 days
27 Mar 2084 North-South Ñ Lighted for 13.5 years
---------------------------------------------------------
5 Oct 2097 South-North Unlighted for 69 days
13 Dec 2097 South-North Lighted for 134 days
26 Apr 2098 North-South Unlighted for 53 days
18 Jun 2098 South-North Lighted for 15.4 years
===========================================================
25 Apr 2113 North-South Unlighted for 131 days
3 Sep 2113 North-South Ñ Lighted for 16 days
18 Sep 2113 South-North Unlighted for 125 days
22 Jan 2114 Nort-South Lighted for 12.8 years
-----------------------------------------------------
26 Nov 2126 South-North Unlighted for 72 days
6 Feb 2127 North-South Lighted for 104 days
21 May 2127 South-North Unlighted for 88 days
16 Aug 2127 South-North Lighted for 15.5 years
--------------------------------------------------------
19 Feb 2143 North-South Unlighted for 16 days
7 Mar 2143 North-South Lighted for 13.6 years
-----------------------------------------------------
26 Sep 2156 South-North Unlighted for 40 days
5 Nov 2156 South-North Lighted for 15.4 years
----------------------------------------------------
15 Apr 2172 North-South Unlighted for 105 days
29 Jul 2172 North-South Lighted for 69 days
5 Oct 2172 South-North Unlighted for 96 days
9 Jan 2173 North-South Lighted for 12.8 years
--------------------------------------------------------
10 Nov 2185 South-North Unlighted for 108 days
26 Feb 2186 North-South Lighted for 46 days
12 Apr 2186 South-North Unlighted for 116 days
6 Aug 2186 South-North Lighted for 15.4 years
===========================================================
= = = = = =