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Saturn
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Saturn
Saturn in natural color, photographed by
Cassini in July 2008, approaching equinox.
Designations
Pronunciation
i/'sæt?rn/
Adjectives
Saturnian, Cronian
Orbital characteristics
Epoch J2000.0
Aphelion
7012150884412388020?10.086 AU
(7012150900000000000?1,509 Gm)
Perihelion
7012134997118519679?9.024 AU
(7012135000000000000?1,350 Gm)
7012142939404113226?9.554909 AU
(7012142939000000000?1,429.39 Gm)
Eccentricity
6998555500000000000?0.05555
7001294571000000000?29.4571 yr* 7008929596608000000?10,759.22 d* 7004244910700000000?24,491.07 Saturnian solar days
378.09 days
9.69 km/s
7000553304279467243?317.020°
Inclination
6998433756207022639?2.485240° to ecliptic* 5.51° to Sun's equator* 0.93° to invariable plane
7000198382849427935?113.665°
7000592350785492860?339.392°
Known satellites
62 with formal designations; innumerable additional moonlets.
Physical characteristics
7007582320000000000?58,232±6 km
7007602680000000000?60,268±4 km* 7000944920000000000?9.4492 Earths
7007543640000000000?54,364±10 km* 7000855209999999999?8.5521 Earths
Flattening
6998979600000000000?0.09796±0.00018
7016426999999999999?4.27×1010 km2* 7001837030000000000?83.703 Earths
Volume
7023827130000000000?8.2713×1014 km3* 7002763590000000000?763.59 Earths
Mass
7026568360000000000?5.6836×1026 kg* 7001951590000000000?95.159 Earths
7002687000000000000?0.687 g/cm3
(less than water)
10.44 m/s²* 1.065 g
35.5 km/s
10.55 hours
(10 hr 33 min)
7003987000000000000?9.87 km/s* 7003986111111111111?35,500 km/h
26.73° (to orbit)
2h 42m 21s* 40.589°
83.537°
Albedo
0.342 (Bond)* 0.47 (geometric)
Surface temp.
min
mean
max
1 bar level
134 K (-139°C)
0.1 bar
84 K
+1.47 to -0.24
14.5? to 20.1?
(excludes rings)
Atmosphere
59.5 km
Composition by volume
by volume:
˜?96%
hydrogen (H2)
˜?3%
helium (He)
˜?0.4%
methane (CH4)
˜?0.01%
ammonia (NH3)
˜?0.01%
hydrogen deuteride (HD)
0.0007%
ethane (C2H6)
Ices:* ammonia (NH3)* water (H2O)* ammonium hydrosulfide (NH4SH)
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 about nine times that of Earth. Although only one-eighth the average density of Earth, with its larger volume Saturn is just over 95 times more massive. Saturn is named after the Roman god of agriculture; its astronomical symbol (?) represents the god's sickle.Saturn's interior is probably composed of a core of iron–nickel and rock (silicon and oxygen compounds). This core is surrounded by a deep layer of metallic hydrogen, an intermediate layer of liquid hydrogen and liquid helium, and finally outside the Frenkel line a gaseous outer layer. Saturn has a pale yellow hue due to ammonia crystals in its upper atmosphere. Electrical current within the metallic hydrogen layer is thought to give rise to Saturn's planetary magnetic field, which is weaker than Earth's, but has a magnetic moment 580 times that of Earth due to Saturn's larger size. Saturn's magnetic field strength is around one-twentieth of Jupiter's. The outer atmosphere is generally bland and lacking in contrast, although long-lived features can appear. Wind speeds on Saturn can reach 1,800 km/h (500 m/s), higher than on Jupiter, but not as high as those on Neptune.Saturn has a prominent ring system that consists of nine continuous main rings and three discontinuous arcs and that is composed mostly of ice particles with a smaller amount of rocky debris and dust. Sixty-two moons are known to orbit Saturn, of which fifty-three are officially named. This does not include the hundreds of moonlets comprising the rings. 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.
^ Cite error: The named reference walter2003 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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^ Brainerd, Jerome James (24 November 2004). "Characteristics of Saturn". The Astrophysics Spectator. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
^ "General Information About Saturn". Scienceray. 28 July 2011. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
^ Brainerd, Jerome James (6 October 2004). "Solar System Planets Compared to Earth". The Astrophysics Spectator. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
^ Dunbar, Brian (29 November 2007). "NASA – Saturn". NASA. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
^ Cite error: The named reference Mass_ref_3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Brainerd, Jerome James (27 October 2004). "Giant Gaseous Planets". The Astrophysics Spectator. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
^ Cite error: The named reference mag was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "The Planets ('Giants')". Science Channel. 8 June 2004.
^ Piazza, Enrico. "Saturn's Moons". Cassini, Equinox Mission. JPL NASA. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
^ Munsell, Kirk (6 April 2005). "The Story of Saturn". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2007.
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