NASA has confirmed that Saturn's rings will vanish from our view in "the next 18 months" - so get those telescopes out now!
Staring up at the night sky is one of life's simple pleasures, especially because it always seems to be a peaceful yet thought-provoking experience.
Many of us will have been able to see planets with the naked eye from time to time, even if they're just a faint glint in the distance - but those avid stargazers will have seen them in all their glory.
Sadly, this may all be coming to an end, but there's no reason to hit the panic button just yet.
The enormous and luminous rings encircling the sixth planet in our solar system, Saturn, are on the verge of vanishing, with only 18 months remaining before they fade into obscurity.
Composed of ice and rock fragments coated with materials like dust, Saturn's rings have long been a captivating sight, easily observable from Earth with a small telescope.
However, data collected by NASA in 2017 suggests that these iconic rings are destined to be shrouded in mystery and disappear from our sight in the near future.
The disappearance of Saturn's rings is attributed to a particular planetary alignment as the gas giant orbits the sun. According to IFL Science, this celestial spectacle will occur when Saturn's "angle of tilt" drops to zero on March 23, 2025.
This unique orbital tilt means that every 13.7 to 15.7 years, Earth will be graced with a remarkable view of Saturn positioned perfectly on its side, albeit temporarily obscuring the iconic rings.
Given that Saturn is typically situated a staggering 746 million miles away from Earth at its closest approach, this unique alignment results in the rings momentarily vanishing from our view.
IFL Science has already provided a schedule of these rare events, stating: "The next event following 2025 will be a triple one again: October 15, 2038, and then April 1, and July 9, 2039." So, once they disappear in 2025, you'll have to wait until 2032 to witness Saturn's famous rings in full view again.
Currently, Saturn's rings are inclined downward toward our planet at an angle of nine degrees, but by next year, this angle will have decreased to a mere 3.7 degrees. Notably, we haven't had the opportunity to witness this celestial vanishing act since September 2009, and before that, it hadn't occurred since February 1996.
Not only this, but if you're still around in 100 million years, the rings will disappear. According to a journal on Science Direct, the rings could vanish within 100 million years, or hang around for 1.3 billion. There is no way of knowing specifics, but astronomers agree that they will eventually vanish for good.
Saturn's icy innermost rings are steadily eroding into its upper atmosphere, meaning an Olympic swimming pool amount of water is raining down on the gas planet every day, per Space.com.
Now, 100 million years might not come under the bracket of "soon" to you and me, but in the grand scheme of the universe, that's right around the corner.
Sorry if that causes any sort of existential crisis.
For those who crave more fascinating facts about Saturn's rings, they extend up to an astounding 175,000 miles from the planet's surface, yet their vertical height is only about 30 feet.
NASA, while not particularly creative with their naming, refers to the main rings as A, B, and C, with the fainter ones designated as D, E, F, and G.
The F ring is shepherded by two moons called Pandora and Prometheus, according to NASA.
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