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  Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun, is the second largest planet in the
solar system. It is often called the ringed planet because many rings of dust
and rocks surround it. Saturn also has 22 moons.
Basic Facts
| |
Saturn |
Earth |
|
Position from the Sun |
6 |
3 |
|
Diameter |
74,898 miles (120,526 km) |
7,926 miles (12,753 km) |
|
Moons |
22 |
1 |
|
Rings |
Many |
0 |
|
Average Distance from Sun |
888,000,000 miles (1,429,000,000 km) |
93,000,000 miles (149,000,000 km) |
|
Your Weight on the Planet |
Multiply your weight by 1.02 |
Multiply your weight by 1.0 |
|
Length of One Year |
29 ½ Earth years |
1 Earth year |
|
Length of One Day |
10 hours and 14 minutes |
24 hours |
|
What’s in the Atmosphere? |
Hydrogen, helium |
Nitrogen, oxygen |
|
Temperature |
-290ºF (-180ºC) |
-128ºF to 136ºF
(-89ºC to 58ºC) |
Discovery
Saturn is clearly visible in the night sky. The ancient Greeks named the
planet after the god of agriculture and time. It wasn't until 1655, however,
that we knew Saturn had rings. Galileo saw them, but he didn't know what they
were. Another astronomer, Christian Huygens, later discovered they were rings.
Missions to Saturn
|
Mission |
Launch Date |
Mission Accomplishments |
|
Pioneer 11 (USA) |
April 6, 1973 |
Took pictures of Saturn. Discovered new rings and moons. |
|
Voyager 1 (USA) |
September 5, 1977 |
Took pictures of Saturn's moons. Discovered how complex Saturn’s
rings were. |
|
Voyager 2 (USA) |
August 20, 1977 |
Took pictures of Saturn's moons. |
|
Cassini (USA, European Space Agency, Italy) |
October 13, 1997 |
Experiments will help scientists understand Saturn's moons, rings, and
atmosphere. Will send a probe into Titan's atmosphere. |
Interesting Facts About Saturn
 | Has the most moons |
| Has thousands of rings made of ice, dust, and rocks |
| The farthest planet you can see without a telescope |
| The planet would float if you put it in water |
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