Saturn
Also known as ♄, Sol VI, Sol 6
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 of about 9 times that of Earth. It has an eighth of the average density of Earth, but is over 95 times more massive. Even though Saturn is almost as big as Jupiter, Saturn has less than a third of its mass. Saturn orbits the Sun at a distance of , with an orbital period of 29.45 years.
AI overview
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in our Solar System, notable for being a massive gas giant with distinctive low density—only one-eighth that of Earth despite being 95 times more massive overall. Scientists and space enthusiasts study Saturn because its unique properties, extreme size, and 29.45-year orbit around the Sun make it a key subject for understanding how giant planets form and behave in our Solar System.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Planet.name
- Saturn
- Planet.symbol
- 24px|♄|class=skin-invert
- Planet.image
- 300px
- Planet.caption
- Saturn and its prominent rings, as captured by the Cassini orbiter
- Planet.background
- Wheat
- Planet.named_after
- Saturn
- Planet.adjectives
- Saturnian , Cronian / Kronian
- Planet.epoch
- J2000.0
- Planet.time_periastron
- 2032-Nov-29
- Planet.synodic_period
- 378.09 days
- Planet.satellites
- 285 with formal designations; innumerable additional moonlets.
- Planet.circumference
- (equatorial)
Article
27 sectionsContents
- Name and symbol
- Physical characteristics
- Internal structure
- Rotation
- Oblateness
- Atmosphere
- Cloud layers
- Hexagonal cloud patterns
- Magnetosphere
- Orbit and observation
- Observation
- Natural satellites
- Planetary rings
- History of observation and exploration
- Pre-telescopic observation
- Telescopic pre-spaceflight observations
- Spaceflight missions
- ''Pioneer 11'' flyby
- ''Voyager'' flybys
- ''Cassini–Huygens'' spacecraft
- Possible future missions
- In fiction
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Further reading
- External links
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 of about 9 times that of Earth. It has an eighth of the average density of Earth, but is over 95 times more massive. Even though Saturn is almost as big as Jupiter, Saturn has less than a third of its mass. Saturn orbits the Sun at a distance of , with an orbital period of 29.45 years.
Saturn's interior is thought to be composed of a rocky core, surrounded by a deep layer of metallic hydrogen, an intermediate layer of liquid hydrogen and liquid helium, and an outer layer of gas. Saturn has a pale yellow hue, due to ammonia crystals in its upper atmosphere. An electrical current in 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 because of Saturn's greater size. Saturn's magnetic field strength is about a twentieth that of Jupiter. The outer atmosphere is generally bland and lacking in contrast, although long-lived features can appear. Wind speeds on Saturn can reach .