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.

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,