There are lots of facts about Saturn, and our solar system in general. While all planets orbit the Sun in different paths, some have unique features that distinguish them from others. Saturn, for example, the sixth planet from the Sun, is a gas giant.
It has a thick atmosphere and a lovely set of seven main rings with spaces between them. It has been known since ancient times and it has been visited by four robotic spacecraft:
- Pioneer 11
- Cassini
- Voyager 1 & 2
Here are some more facts about Saturn that you may not be aware of.
1 It’s pretty far away
The farthest planet from Earth that can be seen by the unaided human eye, Saturn has been known since ancient times. The planet is named after the Roman god of agriculture and wealth, who was also the father of Jupiter.
Did you know?
Nobody knows who saw, or ‘discovered’, Saturn first but it is known that Galileo Galilei first observed the planet through a telescope.
2 Saturn could float in water
The planet Saturn, the least dense planet in the solar system, float in water. Saturn is composed of gasses, mainly Hydrogen and Helium. If you had a large enough pool of water Saturn would float in it.
Did you know this about Saturn?
The atmosphere of Saturn is composed predominately of 96% Hydrogen and 3% Helium. There are traces of other substances such as Methane, Ammonia, Acetylene and many more.
3 Saturn has the most complex ring system of any planet in our solar system
Saturn’s seven main rings extend outwards from its equator. They start at approximately 6,630 km outwards and reach approximately 120,700 km into space. On average they are only 20 meters in thickness.
Did you know?
Beyond the main rings of Saturn, another ring named Phoebe orbits the planet. It is 12 million km from the planet
4 The planet has the second shortest day in the solar system
A day on Saturn lasts just 10 hours and 42 minutes, this is just over an hour longer than Jupiter. Fancy spending Christmas there? A single year on Saturn lasts an average of about twenty-nine and a half years, so you will have quite the wait.
Did you know?
Saturn rotates at 22,058 mph (35,500 km/h). This is 34 times faster than Earth’s rotational speed at 1,037 mph (1,670 km/h).
5 Saturn was named for the Roman god Saturnus
Saturn, the sixth planet from the sun, has been known by many names throughout history. In ancient Greece, it was called Phaenon which they considered sacred to Cronus. Romans equated Cronus with their god of agriculture, Saturnus. It is from this Roman deity that the planet takes its modern name, Saturn.
Did you know these facts about Saturn?
Modern Greeks still call the planet Cronus. Did you know that Saturday was named after Saturn?
6 Saturn is the flattest planet in the solar system
Saturn, the sixth planet from the sun, is known for its unique shape. It is an oblate spheroid, which means it is flattened at the poles and bulges at the equator. The planet’s equatorial diameter is about 10% larger than its polar diameter.
Did you know?
The rotational acceleration of Saturn is responsible for this shape. The planet rotates much faster than any other planet in our solar system, completing a full rotation in just 10.7 hours.
7 Saturn has seasons
The planet has a tilt that is very similar to Earth’s, which means it experiences similar seasons. However, due to the amount of radiation it receives from the sun these seasons are much more subtle than Earth.
Did you know?
Most of Saturn’s heat comes from its interior rather than the sun. Similar to the temperature change with longitude on Earth, scientists have found there is a 10°C difference between the equatorial equivalent on Saturn.
8 Saturn has the most moons in the solar system
Jupiter was known as the planet with the most moons in the solar system. However, it wasn’t until a technological advancement led to the discovery of a further 20 new moons around Saturn beating Jupiter by three moons.
Did you know?
In 1847, there were just seven known moons of Saturn. John Hershel named these after the Greek Giants and Titans, but the increasing number of discoveries posed a challenge. In 2004, Astrologists at the IAU General Assembly allowed the moons of Saturn to have names of giants and monsters in Norse, Gallic and Inuit giants.
9 Saturn is the 2nd windiest planet in the solar system
Did you know about these windy facts about Saturn? Winds on Saturn can reach up to 1,100 mph (1,800 km/hr). This makes them 3.45 times more intense than Earth’s most damaging tornados. Tornadoes are measured on a scale of F0 to F5, with F5 being classed as an Incredible Tornado.
Did you know?
F5 tornados reach between 261 and 318 Mph. The damage caused by these can be catastrophic as strong, frame houses would be lifted off foundations and carried considerable distances to disintegrate.
10 Saturn’s rings sometimes ‘disappear’
They don’t actually disappear, but they do look like they’re going away. Saturn’s axis is tilted, like Earth. From our perspective, we see Saturn’s changing position as it takes its 30-year journey around the Sun.
Did you know this?
During the planet’s journey, the rings are sometimes fully open, and we see them in all their glory, but other times we see the rings edge-on. When we see them edge-on, it looks like they’ve disappeared. This happened in 2008-2009 and will happen again in 2024-2025.
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