Saturn

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, afterJupiter. Saturn is
named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus, the Babylonian Ninurta, and the Hindu Shani.

Saturn has an averageradius about 9 times larger than the Earth's.[12] While only 1/8 the average density of Earth,
due to its larger volume, Saturn's mass is just over 95 times greater than Earth's. The interior of Saturn is probably
composed of a core of iron, nickel, silicon and oxygen compounds, surrounded by a deep layer of metallic hydrogen,
an intermediate layer of liquid hydrogenand liquid helium, and an outer gaseous layer.

Wind speeds on Saturn can reach 1,800 km/h, significantly faster than those on Jupiter.

Saturn has nine rings, consisting mostly of ice particles with a smaller amount of rocky debris and dust. Sixty-

two known moons orbit the planet; fifty-three are officially named.

Titan, Saturn's largest and the Solar System's second largest moon (after Jupiter's Ganymede), is larger than the

planet Mercury and is the only moon in the Solar System to possess a significant atmosphere.

Physical characteristics

Due to a combination of its lower density, rapid rotation, and fluid state Saturn is an oblate spheroid; that is, it is

flattened at the poles and bulges at the equator. Although Saturn's core is considerably denser than water, the

average specific density of the planet is 0.69 g/cm³ due to the gaseous atmosphere

Saturn has a very hot interior, reaching 11,700 °C at the core, and it radiates 2.5 times more energy into space than it

receives from the Sun. Most of the extra energy is generated by the Kelvin-Helmholtz mechanism (slow gravitational

compression), but this alone may not be sufficient to explain Saturn's heat production. An additional proposed

mechanism by which Saturn may generate some of its heat is the "raining out" of droplets of helium deep in Saturn's

interior, the droplets of helium releasing heat by friction as they fall down through the lighter hydrogen.

Atmosphere

The outer atmosphere of Saturn consists of 96.3% molecular hydrogen and 3.25% helium.[23] Trace amounts of

ammonia, acetylene, ethane, phosphine, and methane have also been detected.[24] The upper clouds on Saturn are

composed of ammonia crystals, while the lower level clouds appear to be composed of either ammonium

hydrosulfide (NH4SH) or water.

The total mass of these elements is estimated to be 19–31 times the mass of the Earth, with a significant fraction

located in Saturn's core region.

Cloud layers
Saturn's bands are much fainter and are also much wider near the equator. At depth, extending for 10 km and with a
temperature of −23 °C, is a layer made up of water ice. Above this layer is probably a layer of ammonium
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hydrosulfide ice, which extends for another 50 km and is approximately −93 °C. Eighty kilometers above that layer
are ammonia ice clouds, where the temperatures are roughly −153 °C. Near the top of the atmosphere, extending for
some 200 km to 270 km above the visible ammonia clouds, are gaseous hydrogen and helium.

In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope observed an enormous white cloud near Saturn's equator which was not
present during the Voyager encounters, and, in 1994, another smaller storm was observed. The 1990 storm was an
example of a Great White Spot, a unique but short-lived phenomenon which occurs once every Saturnian year, or
roughly every 30 Earth years.

In recent images from the Cassini spacecraft, Saturn's northern hemisphere appears a bright blue, similar to Uranus.

This blue color cannot currently be observed from Earth, because Saturn's rings are currently blocking its northern
hemisphere. The color is most likely caused by Rayleigh scattering.

A persisting hexagonal wave pattern around the north polar vortex in the atmosphere at about 78°N was first noted in
the Voyager images.

Magnetosphere
Saturn has an intrinsic magnetic field that has a simple, symmetric shape—a magnetic dipole. Its strength at the
equator—0.2 gauss (20 µT)—is approximately one twentieth than that of the field around Jupiter and slightly weaker
than Earth's magnetic field.

Orbit and rotation

The average distance between Saturn and the Sun is over 1 400 000 000 km (9 AU). With an average orbital speed

of 9.69 km/s,[5] it takes Saturn 10,759 Earth days (or about 29½ years), to finish one revolution around the Sun.[5] The

elliptical orbit of Saturn is inclined 2.48° relative to the orbital plane of the Earth.
The latest estimate of Saturn's rotation based on a compilation of various measurements from the Cassini, Voyager
and Pioneer probes was reported in September 2007 is 10 hours, 32 minutes, 35 seconds.

Planetary rings
Saturn is probably best known for its system of planetary rings, which makes it the most visually remarkable object in
the solar system. The rings extend from 6 630 km to 120 700 km above Saturn's equator, average approximately
20 meters in thickness, and are composed of 93 percent water ice with a smattering of tholinimpurities, and 7 percent
amorphous carbon.

There are two main theories regarding the origin of the rings. One theory is that the rings are remnants of a destroyed
moon of Saturn. The second theory is that the rings are left over from the original nebular material from which Saturn
formed.

Natural satellites
Saturn has at least 62 moons. Titan, the largest, comprises more than 90 percent of the mass in orbit around Saturn,
including the rings.[49] Saturn's second largest moon, Rhea, may have a tenuous ring system of its own.
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20th and 21st Century NASA/ESA probes

Pioneer 11 flyby

Saturn was first visited by Pioneer 11 in September 1979. It flew within 20 000 km of the planet's cloud tops. The

spacecraft also studied the rings; among the discoveries were the thin F-ring and the fact that dark gaps in the rings

are bright when viewed towards the Sun, or in other words, they are not empty of material. Pioneer 11 also measured

the temperature of Titan.

Voyager flybys

In November 1980, the Voyager 1 probe visited the Saturn system. It sent back the first high-resolution images of the

planet, rings, and satellites. Surface features of various moons were seen for the first time

Almost a year later, in August 1981, Voyager 2 continued the study of the Saturn system. More close-up images of

Saturn's moons were acquired, as well as evidence of changes in the atmosphere and the rings.

Cassini-Huygens spacecraft

On July 1, 2004, the Cassini–Huygens space probe performed the SOI (Saturn Orbit Insertion) maneuver and

entered into orbit around Saturn. During 2005, Cassini conducted multiple flybys of Titan and icy satellites. Cassini's

last Titan flyby started on March 23, 2008.

Since early 2005, scientists have been tracking lightning on Saturn. The power of the lightning is approximately

1000 times that of lightning on Earth.

In 2006, NASA reported that the Cassini probe found evidence of liquid water reservoirs that erupt in geysers on

Saturn's moon Enceladus.

Best viewing

Saturn appears to the naked eye in the night sky as a bright, yellowish point of light whose magnitude is usually

between +1 and 0 and takes approximately 29½ years to make a complete circuit of the ecliptic against the

background constellations of the zodiac. Most people will require optical aid (large binoculars or a telescope)

magnifying at least 20× to clearly resolve Saturn's rings.

In culture

In astrology, Saturn ( ) is the ruling planet of Capricorn and, traditionally, Aquarius.

Saturnalia is an Ancient Roman festival that was held in honor of the god Saturn.
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