This Is What Earth Would Look Like If It Had Saturn's Rings

November 29, 2015

Illustrator and author Ron Miller specializes in, among other things, incredible visualizations of other worlds.

In his latest series, he explores what our skies would look like with Saturn's majestic rings. Miller strived to make the images scientifically accurate, adding nice touches like orange-pink shadows resulting from sunlight passing through the Earth's atmosphere. He also shows the rings from a variety of latitudes and landscapes, from the U.S. Capitol building to Mayan ruins in Guatemala.

Washington D.C.

if earth had rings like saturn
Credit: Ron Miller

From Washington, D.C., the rings would only fill a portion of the sky, but appear striking nonetheless. Here, we see them at sunrise.

Guatemala

if earth had rings like saturn
Credit: Ron Miller

From Guatemala, only 14 degrees above the equator, the rings would begin to stretch across the horizon. Their reflected light would make the moon much brighter.

Earth's Equator

if earth had rings like saturn
Credit: Ron Miller

From Earth's equator, Saturn's rings would be viewed edge-on, appearing as a thin, bright line bisecting the sky.

Equinox at the equator

if earth had rings like saturn
Credit: Ron Miller

At the March and September equinoxes, the Sun would be positioned directly over the rings, casting a dramatic shadow at the equator.

Tropic of Capricorn

if earth had rings like saturn
Credit: Ron Miller

At midnight at the Tropic of Capricorn, which sits at 23 degrees south latitude, the Earth casts a shadow over the middle of the rings, while the outer portions remain lit.

Here's a cool video illustration: