A person's first view of the planet Saturn through a small telescope is sure to elicit a gasp of wonder, as the remarkably three-dimensional ringed world appears suspended against the blackness of space. If you've never experienced this magnificent sight, I'm afraid you'll have a bit of a wait.

At their widest, the rings girdle Saturn's equator at a 26.7 degrees angle to Earth. They appear "open" when Saturn is in the parts of its orbit that correspond to its summer or winter — that is, when its poles are tilted towards the sun and Earth. The next time this happens will be around 2016.

As Saturn approaches its spring and fall positions, however, the rings "close down" and become more difficult to see from Earth. And, when turned completely edge-on to us, they nearly vanish, leaving only a tiny, faint and nearly featureless yellow disk. Looking at these paper-thin rings from the side removes their glare and gives astronomers a great opportunity to see the icy moons near the planet.

Right now is one of those times. The rings are inclined only about 0.8 degrees toward us and appear as a thin line crossing the planet's disk. They will begin to open a bit by late springtime, but by early September they will virtually disappear from view.

If you miss checking out Saturn's rings this month, keep in mind that the next two ring-plane crossings will be difficult to see because on Sept. 4, 2009, and March 23, 2025, Saturn will lie only a few degrees from the glare of the sun. The next good edge-on view of Saturn will not come until the triple-crossing of 2038-39, so this week marks a rare and beautiful event.

To find Saturn, go outdoors around midnight and look low toward the eastern horizon. It will be the brightest "star" in that direction, just below the constellation of Leo, the lion.

The rings of Saturn have been known for nearly four centuries and, for most of that time, scientists debated their true nature. Today, because of high-tech astronomical instrumentation and spacecraft visits, we're certain that the rings are composed of chunks of ice and dust whirling around the planet at thousands of miles per hour.

During holiday travel, however, I begin to wonder if they're not really made of lost airline luggage.

To find out more about Dennis Mammana and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.