Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the most distant that can be seen with the naked eye. Saturn is the second largest planet and is best known for its fabulous ring system that was first observed in 1610 by the astronomer Galileo Galilei. Saturn is a gas giant and is composed of similar gasses including hydrogen, helium and methane.
Saturn can be seen with the naked eye.
It is the fifth brightest object in the solar system.Saturn was known to the ancients, including the Babylonians and Far Eastern observers. Saturn is the flattest planet.
Its polar diameter is 90% of its equatorial diameter, this is due to its low density and fast rotation.
Saturn orbits the Sun once every 29.4 Earth years.Saturn’s upper atmosphere is divided into bands of clouds.The planet also has a vortex over its south pole that resembles a hurricane-like storm. It exists in layers that get denser farther into the planet. Eventually, deep inside, the hydrogen becomes metallic. At the core lies a hot interior.
The Saturnian rings are made mostly of chunks of ice and small amounts of carbonaceous dust. The rings stretch out more than 120,700 km from the planet, but are are amazingly thin: only about 20 meters thick.
Saturn has 150 moons and smaller moonlets.All are frozen worlds. The largest moons are Titan and Rhea. Enceladus appears to have …show more content…
Two of Saturn’s moons (Janus & Epimetheus) swap orbits every 4
Saturn can be seen with the naked eye.
It is the fifth brightest object in the solar system.Saturn was known to the ancients, including the Babylonians and Far Eastern observers. Saturn is the flattest planet.
Its polar diameter is 90% of its equatorial diameter, this is due to its low density and fast rotation.
Saturn orbits the Sun once every 29.4 Earth years.Saturn’s upper atmosphere is divided into bands of clouds.The planet also has a vortex over its south pole that resembles a hurricane-like storm. It exists in layers that get denser farther into the planet. Eventually, deep inside, the hydrogen becomes metallic. At the core lies a hot interior.
The Saturnian rings are made mostly of chunks of ice and small amounts of carbonaceous dust. The rings stretch out more than 120,700 km from the planet, but are are amazingly thin: only about 20 meters thick.
Saturn has 150 moons and smaller moonlets.All are frozen worlds. The largest moons are Titan and Rhea. Enceladus appears to have …show more content…
Two of Saturn’s moons (Janus & Epimetheus) swap orbits every 4