Via ScienceBlog.com
--- This happens during Saturn's equinox, when the sun is directly over
Saturn's equator. At this time, the rings, which also orbit directly
over the planet's equator, appear edge-on to the sun. During equinox,
light from the sun hits the ring particles at very low angles,
accenting their topography and giving us a three-dimensional view of
the rings.
"The equinox is a very special geometry, where the sun is turned off
as far as the rings themselves are concerned, and all energy comes from
Saturn," said Dr. Michael Flasar of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
in Greenbelt, Md. --- "A Long Night Falls Over Saturn's Rings"
6:13:16 PM 
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