What are three fun facts about Saturn?
- Rhea, a moon of Saturn, probably has had its own rings in the past. ...
- The diameter of Saturn’s rings reaches 155,000 miles (250,000 km), but their density is low. ...
- A year on Saturn lasts about 29 standard years. ...
- The Equatorial diameter of Saturn is 9.44 times that of Earth, and the mass of the gas planet is 95 times that of Earth.
How does Saturn compare to Earth?
The Earth is the densest planet in the solar system, while Saturn is the least dense, making the Earth eight times more dense than Saturn. Saturn has rings around it, while the Earth does not. It takes 24 hours to complete a day on Earth, and a day on Saturn is 10 hours and 32 minutes long.
What is the density of Saturn compared to Earth?
One interesting comparison between Earth and Saturn is density. Earth is the densest planet in the Solar System, while Saturn is the least dense. The density of Earth is 5.52 g/cm 3, while the density of Saturn is 0.687 g/cm 3. In other words, Earth is 8 times as dense as Saturn. Another region where Saturn and Earth are similar is gravity.
Does Saturn have a solid core?
The core region of Saturn may never be directly observed. Neither has the Earth’s. Despite that, scientists are fairly certain that, while Saturn has a core, it is not a solid mass of rock or metal, but a liquid metallic mixture similar to all of the gas giants.
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What is the surface composition of Saturn?
Saturn is not solid like Earth, but is instead a giant gas planet. It is made up of 94% hydrogen, 6% helium and small amounts of methane and ammonia. Hydrogen and helium are what most stars are made of.
What is Saturn made of rock or gas?
Gas Giant. Saturn is a gas-giant planet and therefore does not have a solid surface like Earth's.
What is the composition of Saturn atmosphere?
Hydrogen makes up nearly all of the atmosphere, with lesser amounts of helium and much lesser quantities of methane and ammonia. Saturn also has clouds made of ammonia ice crystals, but the clouds tops are considerably colder than Jupiter's approaching -400 degrees F.
What is unique about Saturn's composition?
Saturn has the lowest density of all the planets. It is lighter than water and if placed on it, the planet would float. The low density of Saturn is attributed to its composition. The planet is largely made up of gases such as hydrogen and helium.
What is the composition and color of Saturn?
Saturn itself is made of ammonia ice and methane gas. The little dark spot on Saturn is the shadow from Saturn's moon Enceladus. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has provided images of Saturn in many colors, from black-and-white, to orange, to blue, green, and red.
What is the composition of Saturn's crust?
The vast majority of Saturn is made up of hydrogen and helium. Along with these two basic gases, there are also traces of ammonia, methane and water. Aerosols of ammonia ice, water ice and ammonia hydrosulfide are also present.
What are 5 interesting facts about Saturn?
Here are some fun facts about the Ringed Planet.Saturn is huge. ... You cannot stand on Saturn. ... Its beautiful rings are not solid. ... Some of these bits are as small as grains of sand. ... The rings are huge but thin. ... Other planets have rings. ... Saturn could float in water because it is mostly made of gas.More items...•
Why Saturn is the most beautiful planet?
The planet Saturn: truly massive and stunningly beautiful with its rings. It's also home to amazing moons like Titan. The planet Saturn is probably the best known and most beautiful planet in the Solar System. Saturn's rings are far more extensive and more easily seen than those of any other planet.
Does Saturn have oxygen?
Data from the Cassini-Huygens satellite showing oxygen ions in the atmosphere around Saturn's rings suggests once again that molecular oxygen alone isn't a reliable indicator of whether a planet can support life. That and other data are outlined in two papers in the Feb.
Which gas is found in Saturn?
Saturn is approximately 75% hydrogen and 25% helium with traces of other substances like methane and water ice. Saturn's atmosphere, although similar to Jupiter's, is much less interesting to look at from a distance.
Is there water or ice on Saturn?
Like Jupiter, Saturn has no surface but has an atmosphere that contains traces of water vapor. Also, Saturn's spectacular rings are mostly made of water ice. Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, has a surface that is a mix of water ice and other ices made of hydrocarbons.
Is there water in Saturn?
Saturn's atmosphere is known to contain traces of gaseous water in its deeper layers. A particular enigma has been the presence of water in its upper atmosphere. First reported in 1997 by teams using ESA's Infrared Space Observatory, the source of this water was unknown until now.
Why is Saturn important?
Saturn's impact on the solar system As the most massive planet in the solar system after Jupiter, the pull of Saturn's gravity has helped shape the fate of our solar system. It may have helped violently hurl Neptune and Uranus outward (opens in new tab).
Why can you not stand on Saturn?
The outer part of Saturn is made of gas and the very top layers have about the same pressure as the air does on Earth. So, if you tried to walk on this part of Saturn, you would sink through its atmosphere. Saturn's atmosphere is very thick and its pressure increases the deeper you go.
What are 7 facts about Saturn?
10 Interesting Facts About SaturnSaturn Can Float in Water. ... Saturn Isn't Round. ... Saturn Has Had Four Visitors Since We Started Launching Probes. ... The Age of Saturn's Rings Is Unknown. ... Saturn Can Be Seen With the Naked Eye. ... Saturn's Moons May Have Life. ... Jupiter and Saturn Together Make up Most of the Solar System.More items...•
What planet is blue green?
UranusThe blue-green color results from the absorption of red light by methane gas in Uranus' deep, cold and remarkably clear atmosphere.
What is Saturn's true color?
Saturn's dark-side rings glow in shades of brown and gold, contrasting with the more neutral appearance of the icy moon Tethys. This view looks toward the anti-Saturn side of Tethys (1,062 kilometers, or 660 miles across).
Why is Saturn called a gas giant?
A gas giant is a large planet mostly composed of helium and/or hydrogen. These planets, like Jupiter and Saturn in our solar system, don't have hard surfaces and instead have swirling gases above a solid core.
Is Saturn a hot planet?
The upper layers in the atmospheres of gas giants -- Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune -- are hot, just like Earth's. But unlike Earth, the Sun is too far from these outer planets to account for the high temperatures. Their heat source has been one of the great mysteries of planetary science.
Is Saturn hot or cold?
With an average temperature of minus 288 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 178 degrees Celsius), Saturn is a pretty cool planet.
Is Uranus made of rock or gas?
Uranus is one of two ice giants in the outer solar system (the other is Neptune). Most (80% or more) of the planet's mass is made up of a hot dense fluid of "icy" materials – water, methane, and ammonia – above a small rocky core.
Is Saturn entirely gas?
Saturn is classified as a gas giant because it is almost completely made of gas. Its atmosphere bleeds into its "surface" with little distinction. If a spacecraft attempted to touch down on Saturn, it would never find solid ground.
How much of Saturn is gas?
Saturn is approximately 75% hydrogen and 25% helium with traces of other substances like methane and water ice. Saturn's atmosphere, although similar to Jupiter's, is much less interesting to look at from a distance.
Can you stand on Saturn?
The density and temperature changes the deeper into the planet you go, but Saturn can't be said to have a solid surface. If you tried to walk on the surface of Saturn, you would fall into the planet, suffering higher temperatures and pressures until you were crushed inside the planet.
What is Saturn's atmosphere?
Atmosphere. Saturn is blanketed with clouds that appear as faint stripes, jet streams and storms. The planet is many different shades of yellow, brown and grey. Winds in the upper atmosphere reach 1,600 feet per second (500 meters per second) in the equatorial region.
How many moons are there on Saturn?
Surrounded by more than 60 known moons, Saturn is home to some of the most fascinating landscapes in our solar system. From the jets of water that spray from Enceladus to the methane lakes on smoggy Titan, the Saturn system is a rich source of scientific discovery and still holds many mysteries. The farthest planet from Earth discovered by ...
What planet is Cassini on?
This Cassini image from 2012 shows Titan and its host planet Saturn. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI
What planets have icy rings?
Surface. Atmosphere. Magnetosphere. Rings. Moons. Potential for Life. Introduction. Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in our solar system. Adorned with a dazzling system of icy rings, Saturn is unique among the planets.
How long does it take Saturn to orbit the Sun?
One day on Saturn takes only 10.7 hours (the time it takes for Saturn to rotate or spin around once), and Saturn makes a complete orbit around the Sun (a year in Saturnian time) in about 29.4 Earth years (10,756 Earth days).
Which planet has the lowest density?
It's hard to imagine, but Saturn is the only planet in our solar system with an average density that is less than water. The giant gas planet could float in a bathtub if such a colossal thing existed.
How long does it take sunlight to travel from the Sun to Saturn?
One astronomical unit (abbreviated as AU), is the distance from the Sun to Earth. From this distance, it takes sunlight 80 minutes to travel from the Sun to Saturn. A 3D model of Saturn, the ringed gas giant planet. Credit: NASA Visualization Technology Applications and Development (VTAD) › Download Options.
What is Saturn made of?
Much like its contemporary Jupiter, Saturn is made up of mostly hydrogen. In fact, this element composes 96% of the planet whilst the remaining 3% is made up of helium and the remaining 1% would be trace amounts of various other chemicals. Scientists believe that this composition matches the primordial elements that were already present during the formation of our Solar System.
What is the interior of Saturn made of?
Further down, this turns into metallic hydrogen. Astronomers believe that the interior of Saturn is actually composed of rock and metal elements that sank down to its center during the formation of the planet itself.
How many moons are there on Saturn?
Saturn also has one of the most prominent ring systems which are composed of ice particles as well as dust and rock debris. There are 61 known moons that orbit this planet. But there are also hundreds of moonlets weaving their way through the rings. In fact, one of Saturn’s moons, the Titan, is larger than the planet Mercury and is the only one in our Solar System that possesses a significant atmosphere.
What is Saturn made of?
Saturn is a gas giant composed predominantly of hydrogen and helium. It lacks a definite surface, though it may have a solid core. Saturn's rotation causes it to have the shape of an oblate spheroid; that is, it is flattened at the poles and bulges at its equator. Its equatorial and polar radii differ by almost 10%: 60,268 km versus 54,364 km. Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune, the other giant planets in the Solar System, are also oblate but to a lesser extent. The combination of the bulge and rotation rate means that the effective surface gravity along the equator, 8.96 m/s2, is 74% of what it is at the poles and is lower than the surface gravity of Earth. However, the equatorial escape velocity of nearly 36 km/s is much higher than that of Earth.
How big is Saturn's core?
In 2004, scientists estimated that the core must be 9–22 times the mass of Earth, which corresponds to a diameter of about 25,000 km.
What is the name of the sixth planet in the solar system?
water ( H. 2O) ammonium hydrosulfide ( NH. 4SH) Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth.
Why is Saturn's atmosphere yellow?
Saturn has a pale yellow hue due to ammonia crystals in its upper atmosphere. An electrical current within the metallic hydrogen layer is thought to give rise to Saturn's planetary magnetic field, which is weaker than the Earth's, but which has a magnetic moment 580 times that of Earth due to Saturn's larger size.
Why does Saturn's rotation rate vary?
This variance may be caused by geyser activity on Saturn's moon Enceladus. The water vapor emitted into Saturn's orbit by this activity becomes charged and creates a drag upon Saturn's magnetic field , slowing its rotation slightly relative to the rotation of the planet.
When was Saturn first observed?
History of observation and exploration. Galileo Galilei first observed the rings of Saturn in 1610. The observation and exploration of Saturn can be divided into three phases. The first phase is ancient observations (such as with the naked eye ), before the invention of modern telescopes.
Which planet has the largest moon in the solar system?
Titan, Saturn's largest moon and the second largest in the Solar System, is larger than the planet Mercury, although less massive, and is the only moon in the Solar System to have a substantial atmosphere.
What are the particles in Saturn's rings?
The particles in Saturn's rings are composed primarily of water ice and range in size from microns to tens of meters. The rings show a tremendous amount of structure on all scales; some of this structure is related to gravitational interactions with Saturn's many moons, but much of it remains unexplained. One moonlet, Pan, actually orbits inside the A ring in a 330-kilometer-wide (200-mile) gap called the Encke Gap. The main rings (A, B and C) are less than 100 meters (300 feet) thick in most places, compared to their radial extent of 62,120 kilometers (38,600 miles). The main rings are much younger than the age of the solar system, perhaps only a few hundred million years old. They may have formed from the breakup of one of Saturn's moons or from a comet or meteor that was torn apart by Saturn's gravity.
Which ring is closest to Saturn?
The D ring is very faint and closest to Saturn. The main rings are A, B and C. The outermost ring, easily seen with Earth-based telescopes, is the A ring. The Cassini Division is the largest gap in the rings and separates the B ring from the A ring.
How did Cassini-Huygens form?
They may have formed from the breakup of one of Saturn's moons or from a comet or meteor that was torn apart by Saturn's gravity. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.
Where is the Cassini orbiter?
The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. and http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov .
What is the range of Saturn's clouds?
This enhanced-color image of the northern hemisphere of Saturn taken by Voyager 1 on November 5, 1980 at a range of 9 million kilometers (5.5 million miles) shows a variety of features in Saturn's clouds. Small-scale convective cloud features.
How fast does Saturn's wind blow?
Near Saturn's equator, winds blow eastward (the same direction as Saturn rotates) at speeds of about 1100 meters/sec (500 miles/hour).
What is Saturn made of?
Atmospheric makeup. Saturn is made up predominantly of hydrogen, which it captured in the early stages of its formation. Most of the remaining composition is helium. Other elements, such as methane and ammonia, are found in small doses. Nitrogen and oxygen also mix within the atmosphere.
What is the atmosphere of Saturn made of?
The upper layers of clouds are made up of ammonia ice. Traveling toward the core, clouds of water ice form, with bands of ammonium hydrosulfide ice intermixed. The lower layers of Saturn see higher temperatures and pressures. Water droplets are found here, mixed with ammonia.
How fast is Saturn's storm?
Saturn boasts some unique features in its atmosphere. When the Voyager missions traveled to the planet in the early 1980s, it imaged a hexagon-shaped cloud formation near the north pole. Twenty-five years later, infrared images taken by Cassini revealed the storm was still spinning, powered by jet streams that push it to speeds of about 220 mph (100 meters per second). At 15,000 miles (25,000 km) across, the long-lasting storm could easily contain an Earth or two.
What is the surface of Saturn?
The surface of Saturn is defined by the region where the pressure of the planet reaches one bar, equivalent to the pressure at sea level on Earth.
How often do thunderstorms occur on Saturn?
Other features of Saturn are less long-lived. Gigantic thunderstorms known as Great White Spots occur once every Saturn year — that's once every three decades on Earth — around the northern hemisphere's summer solstice.
How much of the atmosphere is helium?
Although helium makes up almost a quarter of the mass of the planet, the atmosphere itself is only about 7 percent helium. This implies that much of the planet's helium is sinking through the hydrogen. RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU... Created with Sketch.
Which planet has more clouds, Saturn or Jupiter?
Like Jupiter, Saturn boasts layers of clouds. But the bands of the ringed planet are less stunning than its more brilliantly-striped sibling. Stripes on Saturn are wider, particularly near the equator. The colder bands, where gases are rising, are known as zones, while gas within the warmer belts falls back toward the planets. Saturn contains more sulfur than Jupiter, which give its zones and belts an orangish, smog-like cast.
Namesake
Potential For Life
Size and Distance
Orbit and Rotation
Moons
Rings
Formation
Structure
- Like Jupiter, Saturn is made mostly of hydrogen and helium. At Saturn's center is a dense core of metals like iron and nickel surrounded by rocky material and other compounds solidified by intense pressure and heat. It is enveloped by liquid metallic hydrogen inside a layer of liquid hydrogen –similar to Jupiter's core but considerably smaller. It'...
Surface
Atmosphere
Overview
Natural satellites
Saturn has 83 known moons, 53 of which have formal names. In addition, there is evidence of dozens to hundreds of moonlets with diameters of 40–500 meters in Saturn's rings, which are not considered to be true moons. Titan, the largest moon, comprises more than 90% of the mass in orbit around Saturn, including the rings. Saturn's second-largest moon, Rhea, may have a tenuous ring syste…
Name and symbol
Physical characteristics
Orbit and rotation
History of observation and exploration
Observation
See also