Hi John,

Yes, this is something that happens about every 14-15 years. On September 4, 2009, the Saturn's rings will disappear as viewed from the Earth. The rings of Saturn will still be there, the same as they always have been. We just won't be able to see them because we will be looking directly at the edge of the rings from here on the Earth. The rings are actually very, very thin! As the relative orientations of the Earth and Saturn change, the rings will reappear again a few months later. You can learn more in this story and video from the American Institute of Physics: http://www.aip.org/dbis/stories/2008/18083.html

Kris