SATURN

go back to fun...

{{{{Bells sound by Al Weeks}}}}

The ringed planet, Saturn is the god of crops and the harvest. It is often commemorated with "Saturnalia"--i.e., fun, enjoyment, revelry. In pagan times, people celebrated the bringing-in of a bountiful harvest with singing and dancing. Saturn's rings are a beautiful sight in even a modest-size telescope (see Uranus). From year to year the rings are tipped at various angles and at times are not tilted at all as viewed from Earth. This year--1998--they are tilted at enough of an angle to be seen quite well in a telescope of the type most of us hobbyists might own. Mythology about the planet abounds. It is said by some to be the "physical location of Heaven" (Weekly World News, Mar. 10, 1998, quoting an (alleged) astronomer).

Saturn is here, obviously, employed as a depository of things that amuse and entertain.