Suppose an observer is viewing the rings of Saturn from Earth, and they are seen edge-on. How long must the observer wait until the rings are again edge-on? (Saturn's orbital period is 29 years.)
A) 6 months
B) 1 year
C) 14.5 years
D) 29 years

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The rings of Saturn appear edge-on to an observer on Earth twice during one Saturnian year, which is every 29 Earth years. Therefore, from one edge-on appearance to the next is half of Saturn's orbital period, which is 14.5 years.

Suppose an Observer Is Viewing the Rings of Saturn from Earth