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Bulk Parameters,
Orbital Parameters, Observational Parameters, Mean
Orbital Elements, Magnetosphere, Atmosphere.
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| Bulk Parameters | Saturn | Earth | Ratio (Saturn/Earth) |
| Mass (1024 kg) | 568.46 | 5.9736 | 95.159 |
| Volume (1010 km3) | 82713 | 108.321 | 763.59 |
| Equatorial Radius (km) | 60268 | 6378.1 | 9.449 |
| Polar radius (km) | 54364 | 6356 | 8.552 |
| Volumetric mean radius (km) | 58232 | 6371 | 9.140 |
| Ellipticity | 0.09796 | 0.0034 | 29.24 |
| Mean density (kg/m3) | 687 | 5515 | 0.125 |
| Surface gravity (eq.) (m/s2) | 8.96 | 9.78 | 0.916 |
| Escape velocity (km/s) | 35.5 | 11.2 | 3.172 |
| GM (x 106 km3/s2) | 37.931 | 0.3986 | 95.16 |
| Bond albedo | 0.342 | 0.306 | 1.12 |
| Visual geometric albedo | 0.47 | 0.367 | 1.28 |
| Visual magnitude V (1,0) | -8.88 | -3.86 | - |
| Solar irradiance (W/m2) | 14.90 | 1367.6 | 0.011 |
| Black-body temperature (K) | 81.1 | 254.3 | 0.319 |
| Moment of inertia (I/MR2) | 0.210 | 0.3308 | 0.635 |
| J2 (x 10-6) | 16298. | 1082.63 | 15.054 |
| Orbital Parameters | Saturn | Earth | Ratio (Saturn/Earth) |
| Semimajor axis (106 km) | 1433.53 | 149.6 | 9.582 |
| Sidereal orbit period (days) | 10759.22 | 365.256 | 29.457 |
| Tropical orbit period (days) | 10746.94 | 356.242 | 29.424 |
| Perihelion (106 km) | 1352.55 | 147.1 | 9.195 |
| Aphelion (106 km) | 1514.5 | 152.1 | 9.957 |
| Synodic period (days) | 378.09 | - | - |
| Mean orbital velocity (km/s) | 9.69 | 29.78 | 0.325 |
| Max. orbital velocity (km/s) | 10.18 | 30.29 | 0.336 |
| Min. orbital velocity (km/s) | 9.09 | 29.29 | 0.310 |
| Orbital inclination (deg) | 2.485 | 0.00 | - |
| Orbit eccentricity | 0.0565 | 0.0167 | 3.383 |
| Sidereal rotation period (hrs) | 10.656* | 23.9345 | 0.445 |
| Length of Day (hrs) | 10.656 | 24.0000 | 0.444 |
| Obliquity to orbit (deg) | 26.73 | 23.45 | 1.140 |
| * Saturnian system III coordinates | |||
| Observational Parameters | |||
| Discoverer: | Unknown | ||
| Discovery Date: | Prehistoric | ||
| Apparent diameter from Earth | Maximum | 20.1 | |
| (seconds of arc): | Minimum | 14.5 | |
| Distance from Earth | Maximum | 1658.5 | |
| (106 km): | Minimum | 1195.5 | |
| Mean values at opposition from Earth: | Distance from Earth: 1277.42 x 10^6 km | Apparent diameter (seconds of arc):19.5 | Apparent Visual magnitude: 0.7 |
| Mean Orbital Elements (J200) | |||
| Semimajor axis (A.U.) | 9.53707032 | ||
| Orbital eccentricity | 0.05415060 | ||
| Orbital inclination (deg) | 2.48446 | ||
| Longitude of ascending node | 113.71504 | ||
| Longitude of perihelion (deg) | 92.43194 | ||
| Mean Longitude (deg) | 49.94432 | ||
| Magnetosphere | |||
| Dipole field strength | 0.210 gauss-Rs3 | Rs = a Saturnian radii = 60330 km | |
| Dipole tilt to rotational axis | <1 degree | ||
| Dipole offset (planet center to dipole center) distance: | 0.04 to 0.05 Rs northward | ||
| Note: Saturn's magnetic field has significant quadrapole and octapole moments, making approximation of the central field as an offset dipole difficult. | |||
| Atmosphere | |||
| Surface Pressure | >>100 bars | ||
| Surface Density (at 1 bar) | ~ 0.91 kg/m3 | ||
| Scale Height | 59.5 km | ||
| Average temperature | ~97 K | ||
| Temperature at 1 bar: | ~134 K | ||
| Wind speeds | Up to ~400 m/s (<30 degrees latitude) | ||
| Up to ~150 m/s (>30 degrees latitude) | |||
| Mean molecular weight | 2.07 g/ mole | ||
| Atmospheric Composition: | Major: | ||
| (uncertainty in parentheses) | Molecular Hydrogen (H2) - 96.3% (2.4%) | ||
| Helium (He) - 3.25% (2.4%) | |||
| Minor (ppm): | Methane - 4500 (2000) | Ammonia (NH3)- 125 (75) | Ethane (C2H6)- 7 (2.5) |
| Hydrogen Deuteride (HD) - 110 (58) | |||
| Aerosols: | Ammonia ice, water ice, ammonia hydrosulfide | ||
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Fact sheet source from NSSDC/NASA |