The mystery of strange spots (or rays) in the rings of the planet Saturn is called upon to unravel the Hubble Space Telescope.

It’s a mystery that scientists have been trying to solve since the 1980s, when these spots were first recorded by NASA’s Voyager mission.

Depending on the angle of illumination, the odd spokes in Saturn’s rings can appear bright or dark. These may be dust particles raised by the planet’s magnetic field.
This image is from Cassini, animated by Mike Malaska. https://t.co/AlOAcytfzI #NASA #space pic.twitter.com/ETrAQenxUB

— Corey S. Powell (@coreyspowell) February 9, 2023

Each season on Saturn lasts 7 years.

Spots are usually observed in the years before or after the equinox, that is, they are associated with the change of seasons on this giant planet. In the images available to us, they sometimes look like dark spots, and sometimes like bright flashes.

On May 6, 2025, the autumnal equinox will occur on Saturn, and mysterious spots have already appeared. The previous equinox of Saturn was in 2009.

Like Earth, Saturn has four seasons. However, due to the much longer orbit, each epoch lasts seven years on Earth. An equinox occurs when the plane of Saturn’s rings coincides with the Sun.

How they are created is a mystery

The prevailing theory is that the spots are related to Saturn’s magnetic field. When the magnetic fields of the planets interact with the solar wind, an electrically charged environment is created (on Earth this is the northern lights).

All right, Saturn! We are all a little weird sometimes.
New @NASAHubble the images show strange spokes that appear on Saturn’s rings around the planet’s equinoxes. They are likely caused by Saturn’s magnetic field electrically charging tiny ice particles. https://t.co/fu3SrJ3qvh pic.twitter.com/wLIjAo5ICs

— NASA Goddard (@NASAGoddard) February 9, 2023

In the case of Saturn, scientists believe that the particles of ice and dust that make up the rings have an electrical charge. Thus, these particles float above the rest, creating heavier particles and spots.

While other planets in our solar system have rings, only Saturn has the sunspot phenomenon. “It’s really a natural wonder that we only see on Saturn – at least for now,” says Amy Simon, Hubble’s Outer Planet Atmospheric Heritage Program Manager.

Well, Hubble has already set to work and sent back images of the sunspots in Saturn’s rings, and NASA scientists are hoping that this time, observing the phenomenon will finally provide the answer.

According to NASA