Transit of Saturn from outer planets
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A transit of Saturn across the Sun as seen from an outer planet (Uranus or Neptune) takes place when the planet Saturn passes directly between the Sun and the outer planet, obscuring a small part of the Sun's disc for an observer on the outer planet. During a transit, Saturn can be seen from the outer planet as a small black disc moving across the face of the Sun.
Saturn's satellites could theoretically be seen at the same time, but their angular diameter would be less than 1", and they would therefore be very hard to see.
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[edit] Characteristics
The Saturn-Uranus synodic period is 45.360 23 years (16 567.82 days). The Saturn-Neptune synodic period is 35.869 89 years (13 101.47 days).
The mutual inclination of the orbits of Saturn and Uranus is 1.95°. The mutual inclination of the orbits of Saturn and Neptune is 0.97°.
Transits of Saturn from Uranus are quite rare. The angular diameter of the Sun from Uranus is about 1.7', however Saturn can be as far as a couple of degrees from the Sun at inferior conjunction. Coupled with a very long synodic period of more than 45 years, it takes long time to produce such a transit.
The next one is on April 8, 2669, and the last was on July 18, 4635 BC.
Transits of Saturn from Neptune are also rare, but still more common than those from Uranus, again due to small angular diameter and long synodic period. Nevertheless, the coming one will take place on May 29, 2061, and the last was on April 26, 88.
[edit] Lists of transits (5 000 BC - 10 000 AD)
| Transits of Saturn from Uranus[1] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date and hour of the maximum | Nature (Grazing or Central) | Duration |
| July 18, 4635 BC at 16:46 | Central | 32 h 58 min |
| April 8, 2669 at 4:07 | Central, just see the image (obviously calculated) just below |
37 h 28 min |
| Transits of Saturn from Neptune[2] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date and hour of the maximum | Nature (Grazing or Central) | Duration |
| November 26, 2460 BC at 12:22 | Grazing | 4 h 35 min |
| May 6, 1886 BC at 21:20 | Central | 33 h 59 min |
| May 17, 487 BC at 22:41 | Grazing | 16 h 13 min |
| April 26, 88 at 4:56 | Central | 32 h 45 min |
| May 29, 2061 at 15:40 | Central Unsourced image: File:Saturn-Np-20610530.jpg |
30 h 08 min |
| October 6, 3459 at 10:16 | Central | 38 h 34 min |
| September 15, 5432 at 6:43 | Central | 35 h 38 min |
[edit] References
- ^ Transits of Saturn on Uranus; Fifteen millennium catalog 5 000 BC - 10 000 AD
- ^ Transits of Saturn on Neptune; Fifteen millennium catalog 5 000 BC - 10 000 AD
[edit] See also
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