Saturn

Saturn is a "gas giant" and is the sixth planet from the Sun. It is also the second largest planet in Solar System behind Jupiter.

Saturn

Diameter: 120,536 km
Mass: 95 Earths
Composition: Gas
Atmosphere: Hydrogen
Surface Temperature: -139 °C
Year length: 10,759 Earth days
Day length: Approx 10-11 hours

  • Saturn is the sixth most visible body in night sky.
  • However, despite it not being as bright as other planets it is often visible and rewards observers with its fantastic ring system.
  • Saturn’s rings are composed of 9 main rings. These main rings are mostly rock, ice and dust and they extend up to 120,700 km from Saturn’s equator.
  • Titan, one of 62 known moons, is the second largest moon in the Solar System. It is larger than the planet Mercury and retains a substantial atmosphere.
  • Saturn is named after the Roman god “Saturnus”, god of agriculture.
  • The first spacecraft to conduct a flyby was Pioneer 11, in 1979.