Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest, yet least dense, in the Solar System. Adorned with a dazzling, complex system of icy rings, it is a gas giant with at least 150 moons and moonlets.
Equatorial Diameter
120,536 km
Surface Temperature
-125°C
Mass
5.683 × 10^26 kg
Surface Gravity
10.4 m/s²
Rotation Period
10h 39m
Orbital Period
29 Years
Moons
150+
Planetary Structure & Atmosphere
Saturn's interior is similar to Jupiter's, but its low density and rapid rotation make it the most oblate (squashed) planet in the Solar System, with its equatorial and polar diameters varying by almost 10%. Due to its lower gravity, Saturn's atmosphere has more haze than Jupiter's, blurring its features into a general yellowish hue. The winds on Saturn are incredibly fast, reaching speeds five times faster than those measured on Jupiter.
Scientific Discoveries
- Saturn is the only planet in the Solar System that is less dense than water.
- Its rings, larger and more visible than any other, are composed of water ice crystals and rock ranging in size from dust specks to mountains.
- Some of Saturn's moons act as "shepherd moons" to confine the rings and prevent them from spreading out.
- The planet radiates 2.5 times more heat than it receives from the Sun, possibly due to frictional heat created by helium "raining out" into its interior.
- Saturn appears to the naked eye as a bright, yellowish point of light, and magnifying it at least 30x resolves its famous rings.
- Its largest moon, Titan, is the only moon in the solar system with a thick atmosphere and liquid rivers, lakes, and seas (of methane).