ATMOSPHERE
| Saturn's atmosphere contains many of the same gases that are present in the atmosphere of Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. The most common gases are methane and ammonia. Compared to Jupiter's atmosphere, Saturn is good deal smoother, hazier and less choppy. It is characterized by horizontal bands, alternating between those with westerly, and the rarer easterly winds. The largest feature in Saturn's atmosphere is Anne's Spot, a pale red feature in the southern hemisphere that is similar to, though smaller than, Jupiter's Great Red Spot. The fact that Saturn's cloud tops are smoother than Jupiter's may be due to weaker gravity because of smaller mass and lower temperatures. |