Saturn's rings will appear to have disappeared if you catch a glimpse of the planet through the eyepiece of a telescope on the night of Nov. 23 — but don't worry, you'll be witnessing an illusion! That's when the iconic debris disk will align edge-on with Earth, therefore hiding from view.
Our view of Saturn's rings has shifted dramatically over the years thanks to the lopsided 26.7 degree tilt at which the gas giant orbits the sun. The slow progressions of Earth and Saturn through their orbits dictates whether the majesty of Saturn's ring structure is laid bare for all to see, or whether it is concealed while presented edge-on — an event astronomers refer to as a "ring plane crossing."
