Solar Section Blog
We recently received an amazing animation from ALPO member Anthony Wesley from Rubyvale, Queensland, AU. The spokes clearly appear as faint, roughly radial dark streaks crossing the B-ring. In this near-infrared sequence they remain visible for nearly two hours as Saturn rotates, standing out against the brighter ring material.
(Animation credit: Anthony Wesley, Rubyvale QLD AU)
Details
• Observation: 21 July 2026, 18:42.9 – 20:30.8 UTC
• 28-frame animation
• Filter: 685 nm long-pass (Deep red)
• Scope: 415 mm f/4 Newtonian + Baader FFC + eADC
Spokes are transient, electrically charged dust features first imaged by
Voyager in 1980. Fine ice particles are lifted slightly above the ring
plane by electrostatic forces, often triggered by micrometeoroid impacts
or interactions with Saturn’s magnetic field and plasma environment.
Because the particles are small, their appearance depends strongly on
lighting and viewing geometry: they usually look dark in backscattered
light (as here) and brighter when seen in forward scatter. They are most
frequent and conspicuous near Saturn’s equinoxes, when the Sun is low
over the rings, but can still be recorded at other seasons under good
conditions.
Our sincere thanks (and congratulations!) to Anthony for sharing his
work with the ALPO. You can see more of his images in the current Saturn
apparition gallery.
In 2026, Saturn reaches opposition on October 4, offering its best viewing, brightest (magnitude 0.3), and closest distance of 784 million miles. The rings will appear nearly edge-on—only a 7° inclination.
Key 2026 Saturn Highlights:
- Visibility:Saturn will be in the evening sky through early March, disappear near the Sun in late March, then move to the morning sky before returning to the evening for its October 4 opposition,
- Appearance:Due to the near-edge-on view of the rings, the ringed planet will appear as a thin line across the planet.
- Conjunctions:
- March 8:Venus and Saturn conjunction.
- April 20:Alignment with Mars and Mercury.
- Constellation:Saturn will reside in the constellations Pisces and Cetus throughout the year,
Have you been following how the hues in
Saturn’s southern hemisphere have been changing? It is always a bit
subjective to gauge the true color of the planet, but clearly observers’
images show the frosty blue giving way as the southern hemisphere emerges
from its winter.
Christophe Pellier, an avid planetary astronomer who maintains the excellent Planetary Astronomy website, has published his analysis of photometry and imaging of Saturn from the 2023 apparition that provides insight and some scientific measurement as to the colors of the planet and how they are changing as we move towards the equinox next year. You can find his discussion, analysis, and images here.
In two weeks Saturn will come to opposition, and with it an opportunity to witness the “Seeliger Effect” (or Opposition Surge). Named for German astronomer Hugo von Seeliger who first noticed in 1887 the brightening of the rings within roughly a day of opposition. This brightening of the rings is discernable in amateur telescopes, but to appreciate it you should take in the appearance of the rings several days ahead of opposition to better appreciate the change.
What causes this phenomenon? Scientists believe that “coherent backscattering” is responsible. The direct illumination of the rings from Earth’s perspective at opposition reflects off the irregular particles of the rings to produce a single, more intense light. As a result, if you catch the Seeliger Effect you are seeing evidence that the rings are made up of irregular particles rather than a solid body as was once thought.