0.47 (geo.albedo)
| Surface temperature | min | Wednesday | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| level 1 bar | 134 K | ||
| 0.1 bar | 84 K |
| ~96 % | Hydrogen (H2) |
| ~3 % | Helium |
| ~0,4 % | Methane |
| ~0,01 % | Ammonia |
| ~0,01 % | Hydrogen deuteride (HD) |
| 0,000 7 % | Ethane |
| Ice: | |
| Ammonia | |
| Mermen | |
| Ammonium hydrosulfide(NH 4 SH) |
Saturn has a prominent ring system made up primarily of ice particles and smaller amounts of rock and dust. There are 62 currently known satellites orbiting the planet. Titan is the largest of them, as well as the second largest satellite in the Solar System (after the satellite of Jupiter, Ganymede), which is larger than the planet Mercury and has the only dense atmosphere among the many satellites of the Solar System.
physical characteristics
Orbital characteristics
The average distance between Saturn and the Sun is 1,433,531,000 kilometers (9.58 AU). Moving at an average speed of 9.69 km/s, Saturn orbits the Sun every 10,759 days (approximately 29.5 years). Saturn and Jupiter are in an almost exact 2:5 resonance. Since the eccentricity of Saturn's orbit is 0.056, the difference in distance to the Sun at perihelion and aphelion is 162 million kilometers.
General information
Atmosphere
Saturn's upper atmosphere is composed of 93% hydrogen (by volume) and 7% helium (compared to 18% in Jupiter's atmosphere). There are impurities of methane, water vapor, ammonia and some other gases. Ammonia clouds in the upper atmosphere are more powerful than Jovian clouds.
Saturn Research
Saturn is one of the five planets in the solar system that are easily visible to the naked eye from Earth. At maximum, Saturn's brightness exceeds first magnitude.
View of Saturn through a modern telescope (left) and through a telescope from Galileo's time (right)
Observing Saturn for the first time through a telescope in -1610, Galileo Galilei noticed that Saturn did not look like a single celestial body, but like three bodies almost touching each other, and suggested that these were two large
Comparison of Saturn and Earth
"companion" (satellite) of Saturn. Two years later, Galileo repeated the observations and, to his amazement, found no satellites.
Satellites
As of February 2010, 62 satellites of Saturn are known. 12 of them were discovered using spacecraft: Voyager 1 (1980), Voyager 2 (1981), Cassini (2004-2007). Most of the satellites, except Hyperion and Phoebe, have a synchronous rotation of their own - they are always turned to Saturn with one side. There is no information about the rotation of the smallest satellites.
During 2006, a team of scientists led by David Jewitt of the University of Hawaii, working at the Japanese Subaru Telescope in Hawaii, announced the discovery of 9 moons of Saturn.
All of them belong to the so-called irregular satellites, which are characterized by elongated elliptical orbits, and are believed to have formed not together with the planets, but were captured by their gravitational field.
In total, Jewitt's team has discovered 21 satellites of Saturn since 2004.
The largest of the moons is Titan. Scientists suggest that the conditions on this satellite are similar to those that existed on our planet 4 billion years ago, when life was just beginning on Earth.
Rings
Today we know that all four gaseous giants have rings, but Saturn has the most beautiful and visible ones. The rings are located at an angle of approximately 28° to the ecliptic plane. Therefore, from the Earth, depending on the relative position of the planets, they look different: they can be seen both in the form of rings and “edge-on”.
As Huygens also assumed, the rings are not a solid solid body, but consist of billions of tiny particles located in circumplanetary orbit.
There are three main rings and a fourth - thinner one. Together they reflect more light than the disk of Saturn itself. The three main rings are usually designated by the first letters of the Latin alphabet. Ring B is the central one, the widest and brightest, it is separated from the larger outer ring A by the Cassini gap, almost 4000 km wide, which contains the thinnest, almost transparent rings. Inside the A ring there is a thin gap called the Encke separating strip. Ring C, located even closer to the planet than B, is almost transparent.
Saturn's rings are very thin. With a diameter of about 250,000 km, their thickness does not reach even a kilometer (although there are also peculiar mountains on the surface of the rings). Despite its impressive appearance, the amount of substance that makes up the rings is extremely small. If it were assembled into one monolith, its diameter would not exceed 100 km.
The images obtained by the probes show that the rings are actually formed from thousands of rings alternating with slits; the picture resembles the tracks of gramophone records. The particles that make up the rings are mostly several centimeters in size, but occasionally bodies of several meters are found. Very rarely - up to 1-2 km. The particles appear to be composed almost entirely of ice or rocky material covered with ice.
There is complete consistency between the planet's rings and satellites. Indeed, some of them, the so-called “shepherd moons,” play a role in keeping the rings in place. Mimas, for example, is “responsible” for the absence of matter in the Cassini gap, and Pan is located inside the Encke dividing strip.
The origin of Saturn's rings is not yet entirely clear. Perhaps they formed at the same time as the planet. However, they are an unstable system and the material they are made of is periodically replaced, probably due to the destruction of some of the smaller moons.
- There is no solid surface on Saturn. The planet's average density is the lowest in the Solar System. The planet consists mainly of hydrogen and helium, the two lightest elements in space. The planet's density is only 0.69 that of water. This means that if there were an ocean of the appropriate size, Saturn would float on its surface.
- The robotic Cassini spacecraft, which is currently (October 2008) orbiting Saturn, has transmitted images of the planet's northern hemisphere. Since 2004, when Cassini flew up to it, noticeable changes have occurred, and it is now painted in unusual colors. The reasons for this are not yet clear. Although it is not yet known why Saturn's colors arose, it is believed that the recent change in colors is due to the changing seasons.
Hexagonal atmospheric formation at Saturn's north pole
- The clouds on Saturn form a hexagon - a giant hexagon. First discovered during Voyager flybys of Saturn in the 1980s, a similar phenomenon has never been observed anywhere else in the Solar System. If Saturn's south pole with its spinning hurricane doesn't seem strange, then the north pole may be considered much more unusual. The strange cloud structure is shown in an infrared image taken by the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn in October 2006. The images show that the hexagon remained stable in the 20 years following Voyager's mission. Movies showing Saturn's north pole show the clouds maintaining a hexagonal structure as they rotate. Individual clouds on Earth may have a hexagonal shape, but unlike them, the cloud system on Saturn has six well-defined sides of almost equal length. Four Earths can fit inside this hexagon. There is no complete explanation for this phenomenon yet.
Aurora over Saturn's north pole
- On November 12, 2008, cameras on the Cassini spacecraft captured infrared images of Saturn's north pole. In these images, researchers discovered auroras that have never been observed before in the solar system. In the image, these unique auroras are colored blue, and the clouds below are colored red. The image shows a previously discovered hexagonal cloud directly below the auroras. The auroras on Saturn can cover the entire pole, whereas on Earth and Jupiter the aurora rings, being driven by the magnetic field, only surround the magnetic poles. The familiar ring auroras were also observed on Saturn. Recently captured unusual auroras over Saturn's north pole changed significantly within minutes. The changing nature of these auroras indicates that the variable flow of charged particles from the Sun is affected by some magnetic forces that were not previously suspected.
Notes
see also
Links
- Rings have been discovered on Saturn's moons, just like the planet itself.
- Photos of Saturn taken by the Cassini probe from 2004 to 2009.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
The starry sky has always attracted romantics, poets, artists and lovers with its beauty. Since time immemorial, people have admired the scattering of stars and attributed special magical properties to them.
Ancient astrologers, for example, were able to draw a parallel between the date of birth of a person and the star that was shining brightly at that moment. It was believed that it could influence not only the totality of the character traits of a newborn, but also his entire future fate. Observing the stars helped farmers determine the best date for sowing and harvesting. We can say that much in the life of ancient people was subject to the influence of stars and planets, so it is not surprising that humanity has been trying to study the planets closest to Earth for centuries.
Many of them have now been studied quite well, but some can present scientists with many surprises. Astronomers primarily include Saturn as such planets. A description of this gas giant can be found in any astronomy textbook. However, scientists themselves believe that this is one of the least studied planets, all the mysteries and secrets of which humanity is not yet even able to list.
Today you will receive the most detailed information about Saturn. The mass of the gas giant, its size, description and comparative characteristics with the Earth - you can learn all this from this article. Perhaps you will hear some facts for the first time, and some will seem simply incredible to you.
Ancient ideas about Saturn
Our ancestors could not accurately calculate the mass of Saturn and give it characteristics, but they definitely understood how majestic this planet was and even worshiped it. Historians believe that Saturn, which is one of the five planets clearly visible from Earth with the naked eye, was known to people for a very long time. It received its name in honor of the god of fertility and agriculture. This deity was highly revered among the Greeks and Romans, but later the attitude towards him changed slightly.
The fact is that the Greeks began to associate Saturn with Kronos. This titan was very bloodthirsty and even devoured his own children. Therefore, he was treated without due respect and with some fear. But the Romans revered Saturn very much and even considered him a god who gave humanity much of the knowledge necessary for life. It was the god of agriculture who taught ignorant people how to build living quarters and preserve the harvest until next year. In gratitude to Saturn, the Romans organized real holidays that lasted several days. During this period, even slaves could forget about their insignificant position and fully feel like free people.
It is noteworthy that in many ancient cultures, Saturn, which scientists were able to characterize only millennia later, was associated with strong deities who confidently control the destinies of people in many worlds. Modern historians often wonder that ancient civilizations could have known much more about this giant planet than we do today. Perhaps other knowledge was available to them and we just have to, discarding the dry statistical data, penetrate into the secrets of Saturn.
Brief description of the planet
It is quite difficult to tell in a few words what planet Saturn actually is. Therefore, in the current section we will provide the reader with well-known data that will help to form some idea about this amazing celestial body.
Saturn is the sixth planet of our native solar system. Since it mainly consists of gases, it is classified as a gas giant. The closest “relative” of Saturn is usually called Jupiter, but besides it, Uranus and Neptune can also be included in this group. It is noteworthy that all gas planets can be proud of their rings, but only Saturn has them in such quantity that you can see its majestic “belt” even from Earth. Modern astronomers rightfully consider it the most beautiful and fascinating planet. After all, the rings of Saturn (we will tell you what this magnificence consists of in one of the next sections of the article) almost constantly change their color and each time their photo surprises with new shades. Therefore, the gas giant is one of the most recognizable among other planets
The mass of Saturn (5.68 × 10 26 kg) compared to the Earth is extremely large, we will talk about this a little later. But the diameter of the planet, which, according to the latest data, is more than one hundred and twenty thousand kilometers, confidently puts it in second place in the solar system. Only Jupiter, the leader in this list, can compete with Saturn.
The gas giant has its own atmosphere, magnetic fields and a huge number of satellites, which were gradually discovered by astronomers. Interestingly, the density of the planet is noticeably less than the density of water. Therefore, if your imagination allows you to imagine a huge pool filled with water, then rest assured that Saturn will not drown in it. Like a huge beach ball, it will slowly glide across the surface.
Origin of the gas giant
Despite the fact that spacecraft have been actively studying Saturn over the past decades, scientists still cannot say with confidence how exactly the planet was formed. To date, two main hypotheses have been put forward, which have their followers and opponents.
The Sun and Saturn are often compared in composition. Indeed, they contain a large concentration of hydrogen, which has allowed some scientists to hypothesize that our star and the planets of the solar system were formed at almost the same time. Massive gas accumulations became the ancestors of Saturn and the Sun. However, none of the supporters of this theory can explain why, so to speak, a planet was formed from the original material, in one case, and a star in the other. No one can yet give a decent explanation for the differences in their composition.
According to the second hypothesis, the formation of Saturn lasted hundreds of millions of years. Initially, solid particles were formed, which gradually reached the mass of our Earth. However, at some point the planet lost a large amount of gas and at the second stage it actively increased it from outer space by gravity.
Scientists hope that in the future they will be able to discover the secret of the formation of Saturn, but before that they still have many decades of waiting. After all, only the Cassini spacecraft, which operated in its orbit for thirteen long years, managed to get as close to the planet as possible. This fall, it completed its mission, having collected a huge amount of data for observers that has yet to be processed.
Planet orbit
Saturn and the Sun are separated by almost one and a half billion kilometers, so the planet does not receive much light and heat from our main luminary. It is noteworthy that the gas giant rotates around the Sun in a slightly elongated orbit. However, in recent years, scientists have argued that almost all planets do this. Saturn makes a full revolution in almost thirty years.
The planet rotates extremely quickly around its axis, requiring about ten Earth hours per revolution. If we lived on Saturn, then this is how long a day would last. Interestingly, scientists tried to calculate the planet’s full rotation around its axis several times. During this time, an error of approximately six minutes arose; within the framework of science, it is considered quite impressive. Some scientists attribute it to the inaccuracy of instruments, but others argue that over the years our native Earth began to rotate more slowly, which allowed the error to form.
Planet structure
Since the size of Saturn is often compared to Jupiter, it is not surprising that the structures of these planets are very similar to each other. Scientists conventionally divide the gas giant into three layers, the center of which is the rocky core. It has a high density and is at least ten times more massive than the earth's core. The second layer, where it is located, is considered to be liquid metallic hydrogen. Its thickness is approximately fourteen and a half thousand kilometers. The outer layer of the planet is made up of molecular hydrogen; the thickness of this layer is measured at eighteen and a half thousand kilometers.
Scientists studying the planet found out one interesting fact - it emits two and a half times more radiation into outer space than it receives from the star. They tried to find a definite explanation for this phenomenon, drawing a parallel with Jupiter. However, this still remains another mystery of the planet, because the size of Saturn is smaller than its “brother”, which emits much more modest amounts of radiation into the surrounding world. Therefore, today such activity of the planet is explained by the friction of helium flows. But scientists cannot say how viable this theory is.
Planet Saturn: atmospheric composition
If you observe the planet through a telescope, it becomes noticeable that the color of Saturn has somewhat muted pale orange shades. On its surface one can notice stripe-like formations, which are often formed into bizarre shapes. However, they are not static and quickly transform.
When we talk about gaseous planets, it is quite difficult for the reader to understand how exactly one can determine the difference between a conventional surface and an atmosphere. Scientists also faced a similar problem, so it was decided to determine a certain starting point. It is here that the temperature begins to drop, and here astronomers draw an invisible boundary.
The atmosphere of Saturn is almost ninety-six percent hydrogen. Of the constituent gases, I would also like to mention helium; it is present in an amount of three percent. The remaining one percent is divided between ammonia, methane and other substances. For all living organisms known to us, the planet’s atmosphere is destructive.
The thickness of the atmospheric layer is close to sixty kilometers. Surprisingly, Saturn, like Jupiter, is often referred to as the “planet of storms.” Of course, by Jupiter's standards they are insignificant. But for earthlings, a wind of almost two thousand kilometers per hour will seem like the real end of the world. Such storms occur quite often on Saturn; sometimes scientists notice formations in the atmosphere that resemble our hurricanes. In a telescope, they appear as vast white spots, and hurricanes form extremely rarely. Therefore, observing them is considered a great success for astronomers.
Rings of Saturn
The color of Saturn and its rings is approximately the same, although this “belt” poses a huge number of problems for scientists that they are not yet able to solve. It is especially difficult to answer questions about the origin and age of this magnificence. To date, the scientific community has put forward several hypotheses on this topic, which no one can prove or disprove yet.
First of all, many young astronomers are interested in what Saturn’s rings are made of. Scientists can answer this question quite accurately. The structure of the rings is very heterogeneous; it consists of billions of particles that move at enormous speed. The diameter of these particles ranges from one centimeter to ten meters. They consist of ninety-eight percent ice. The remaining two percent are represented by various impurities.
Despite the impressive appearance that Saturn's rings present, they are very thin. Their thickness on average does not even reach a kilometer, while their diameter reaches two hundred and fifty thousand kilometers.
For simplicity, the rings of the planet are usually called one of the letters of the Latin alphabet; the three rings are considered the most noticeable. But the second is considered to be the brightest and most beautiful.
Ring formation: theories and hypotheses
Since ancient times, people have puzzled over exactly how Saturn's rings were formed. Initially, a theory was put forward about the simultaneous formation of the planet and its rings. However, this version was later refuted, because scientists were amazed by the purity of the ice that makes up Saturn’s “belt.” If the rings were the same age as the planet, then their particles would be covered with a layer that can be compared to dirt. Since this did not happen, the scientific community had to look for other explanations.
The theory about an exploded satellite of Saturn is considered traditional. According to this statement, approximately four billion years ago, one of the planet’s satellites came too close to it. According to scientists, its diameter could reach up to three hundred kilometers. Under the influence of tidal forces, it was torn into billions of particles that formed the rings of Saturn. The version of the collision of two satellites is also being considered. This theory seems most plausible, but recent data make it possible to determine the age of the rings as one hundred million years.
Surprisingly, the particles of the rings constantly collide with each other, forming into new formations and thereby complicating their study. Modern scientists cannot yet reveal the mystery of the formation of Saturn’s “belt,” which has added to the list of mysteries of this planet.
Moons of Saturn
The gas giant has a huge number of satellites. Forty percent of all known systems revolve around it. To date, sixty-three moons of Saturn have been discovered, and many of them present no less surprises than the planet itself.
The size of the satellites ranges from three hundred kilometers to more than five thousand kilometers in diameter. The easiest way for astronomers to discover large moons, most of them were able to be described in the late eighties of the eighteenth century. It was then that Titan, Rhea, Enceladus and Iapetus were discovered. These moons are still of great interest to scientists and are closely studied by them.
Interestingly, all of Saturn's moons are very different from each other. They are united by the fact that they are always turned to the planet with only one side and rotate almost synchronously. Three moons are of greatest interest to astronomers:
- Titanium.
- Enceladus.
Titan is the second largest in the solar system. It is not surprising that it is second only to one of the satellites of Titan, half the size of the Moon, and its size is comparable to Mercury and even exceeds it. Interestingly, the composition of this giant moon of Saturn contributed to the formation of the atmosphere. In addition, there is liquid on it, which puts Titan on a par with Earth. Some scientists even suggest that there may be some form of life on the surface of the satellite. Of course, it will be significantly different from Earth’s, because Titan’s atmosphere consists of nitrogen, methane and ethane, and on its surface you can see lakes of methane and islands with a bizarre topography formed by liquid nitrogen.
Enceladus is an equally amazing satellite of Saturn. Scientists call it the lightest celestial body in the solar system because of its surface, completely covered with an icy crust. Scientists are confident that under this layer of ice there is a real ocean in which living organisms may well exist.
Rhea surprised astronomers not long ago. After taking numerous pictures, they were able to see several thin rings around it. It is too early to talk about their composition and size, but this discovery was shocking, because previously it was not even assumed that rings could rotate around the satellite.
Saturn and Earth: a comparative analysis of these two planets
Scientists rarely compare Saturn and Earth. These celestial bodies are too different to compare them with each other. But today we decided to broaden the reader’s horizons a little and still take a fresh look at these planets. Is there anything in common between them?
First of all, it comes to mind to compare the mass of Saturn and the Earth; this difference will be incredible: the gas giant is ninety-five times larger than our planet. It is nine and a half times larger than the Earth. Therefore, our planet can fit more than seven hundred times in its volume.
Interestingly, the gravity on Saturn will be ninety-two percent of Earth's gravity. If we assume that a person weighing one hundred kilograms is transferred to Saturn, then his weight will decrease to ninety-two kilograms.
Every schoolchild knows that the earth's axis has a certain angle of inclination relative to the Sun. This allows the seasons to change each other, and people to enjoy all the beauties of nature. Surprisingly, Saturn's axis has a similar tilt. Therefore, you can also observe the change of seasons on the planet. However, they do not have a pronounced character and it is quite difficult to trace them.
Like the Earth, Saturn has its own magnetic field, and recently scientists witnessed real aurora over the planet's surface. It pleased me with its long glow and bright purple hues.
Even from our small comparative analysis it is clear that both planets, despite their incredible differences, also have something that unites them. Perhaps this forces scientists to constantly turn their gaze towards Saturn. However, some of them laughingly say that if it were possible to look at both planets side by side, the Earth would look like a coin, and Saturn would look like an inflated basketball.
The study of the gas giant that is Saturn is a process that has puzzled scientists from all over the world. More than once they sent probes and various devices to him. Since the last mission was completed this year, the next one is planned only for 2020. However, now no one can say whether it will take place. Negotiations have been ongoing for several years about Russia's participation in this large-scale project. According to preliminary calculations, the new device will take about nine years to get into Saturn's orbit, and another four years to study the planet and its largest satellite. Based on all of the above, you can be sure that revealing all the secrets of the planet of storms is a matter of the future. Perhaps you, our readers today, will take part in this.
General information about Saturn
© Vladimir Kalanov,
website"Knowledge is power".
Saturn is the sixth largest planet in the solar system in terms of distance from the Sun and the second largest planet after Jupiter. Saturn is the farthest planet that can still be seen with the naked eye. The planet has been known since prehistoric times.
View of Saturn
in natural colors
View of Saturn
in conventional colors
The average distance of Saturn from the Sun is 1427 million km (minimum - 1347, maximum - 1507). Through a telescope or even good binoculars, the color of the planet's disk appears bright yellowish. The rings of Saturn create a special beauty and spectacular spectacle. But you can’t admire the beauty of rings every day for reasons that we will discuss below. A characteristic feature of Saturn is the very low average density of its matter. This is not surprising: most of the planet’s volume is gas, or more precisely, a mixture of gases.
Saturn is similar to Jupiter, as they say, both in form and content. Saturn is noticeably flattened along the axis of the poles: the diameter of the equator (120,000 km) is 10% larger than the diameter at the poles (108,000 km). For Jupiter this figure is 6%.
The period of rotation of the equatorial region around the axis of the planet is 10 hours 13 minutes. 23 p. Although Saturn rotates on its axis more slowly than Jupiter, it is more flattened. This is explained by the fact that Saturn has less mass and density than Jupiter.
Interestingly, the period of rotation around its axis of Saturn, a planet known since time immemorial, was calculated only at the end of 1800. This was done by the great English scientist of German origin, William Herschel (Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel). According to his calculations, the rotation period of Saturn is 10 hours 16 minutes. As we can see, Herschel was not mistaken at all.
Compared to the Earth, Saturn, of course, looks like a giant: the diameter of its equator is almost 10 times larger than the Earth’s. The mass of Saturn is 95 times the mass of the Earth, but since the average density of Saturn is insignificant (about 0.7 g/cm³), the gravitational force on it is almost the same as on Earth.
The average speed of Saturn's orbit around the Sun is 9.6 km/s, which is significantly lower than the orbital speed of Jupiter. This is understandable: the further a planet is from the Sun, the lower its speed. And Saturn is removed from the Sun at a distance of an average of 1427 million kilometers, which is almost twice the distance of Jupiter from the Sun (778.3 million km).
Internal structure of Saturn
Astronomers believe that the internal structure of Saturn is almost no different from that of Jupiter. At the center of Saturn there is a huge silicate-metallic core, the radius of which is about 0.25 of the radius of the planet. At a depth of approximately ½ the radius of Saturn, i.e. about 30,000 km. the temperature rises to 10,000°C, and the pressure reaches 3 million atmospheres. The core operates at even higher pressures, and temperatures can reach 20,000°C. It is in the core that there is a source of heat that warms the entire planet. Saturn, according to calculations, emits twice as much heat as it receives from the Sun.
Saturn's core is surrounded by hydrogen, which is in the so-called metallic state, i.e. in a liquid aggregate state, but with metallic properties. In this state, hydrogen has high electrical conductivity, because electrons lose their connection with atoms and move freely in the surrounding volume of matter. The importance of terminological clarity in any science is very high. Let the readers evaluate how successful our attempt to reveal here the content of the term “metallic hydrogen”, often found in the literature, turned out to be.
However, let's continue the story about the structure of Saturn. Above the metallic hydrogen, closer to the surface, there is a layer of liquid molecular hydrogen, which passes into the gas phase adjacent to the atmosphere. The composition of the atmosphere is as follows: hydrogen (94%), helium (3%), methane (0.4%), ammonia, acetylene and ethane are present in small quantities. Overall, Saturn is believed to be almost 90% hydrogen and helium, with a huge predominance of the former.
© Vladimir Kalanov,
"Knowledge is power"
Dear visitors!
Your work is disabled JavaScript. Please enable scripts in your browser and the full functionality of the site will open to you!Characteristics of the planet:
- Distance from the Sun: 1,427 million km
- Planet diameter: ~ 120,000 km*
- Day on the planet: 10h 13m 23s**
- Year on the planet: 29.46 years***
- t° on the surface: -180°C
- Atmosphere: 96% hydrogen; 3% helium; 0.4% methane and traces of other elements
- Satellites: 18
* diameter along the planet's equator
**period of rotation around its own axis (in Earth days)
***period of orbit around the Sun (in Earth days)
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun - the average distance to the star is almost 9.6 AU. e. (≈780 million km).
Presentation: planet Saturn
The planet's orbital period is 29.46 years, and the rotation time around its axis is almost 10 hours 40 minutes. The equatorial radius of Saturn is 60,268 km, and its mass is more than 568 thousand billion megatons (with an average density of planetary matter of ≈0.69 g/cc). Thus, Saturn is the second largest and most massive planet in the solar system after Jupiter. At an atmospheric pressure level of 1 bar, the atmospheric temperature is 134 K.
Internal structure
The main chemical elements that make up Saturn are hydrogen and helium. These gases transform at high pressure inside the planet, first into a liquid state, and then (at a depth of 30 thousand km) into a solid state, since under the physical conditions existing there (pressure ≈3 million atm.) hydrogen acquires a metallic structure. A strong magnetic field is created in this metal structure; its intensity at the top of the clouds near the equator is 0.2 G. Below the layer of metallic hydrogen is a solid core of heavier elements, such as iron.
Atmosphere and surface
In addition to hydrogen and helium, the planet's atmosphere contains small amounts of methane, ethane, acetylene, ammonia, phosphine, arsine, germane and other substances. The average molecular weight is 2.135 g/mol. The main characteristic of the atmosphere is homogeneity, which does not allow one to distinguish small details on the surface. The wind speed on Saturn is high - at the equator it reaches 480 m/s. The temperature of the upper boundary of the atmosphere is 85 K (-188°C). There are many methane clouds in the upper layers of the atmosphere - several dozen belts and a number of individual vortices. In addition, powerful thunderstorms and auroras are observed quite often here.
Satellites of the planet Saturn
Saturn is a unique planet that has a ring system with billions of small objects, particles of ice, iron and rock, as well as many moons - all of which orbit the planet. Some satellites are large. For example, Titan, one of the large satellites of the planets in the Solar System, second in size only to Jupiter’s satellite Ganymede. Titan is the only satellite in the entire solar system that has an atmosphere similar to that of Earth, where the pressure is only one and a half times higher than that of the surface of planet Earth. In total, Saturn has 62 satellites out of those already discovered; they have their own orbits around the planet, the rest of the particles and small asteroids are part of the so-called ring system. More and more new satellites are beginning to be discovered by researchers, so in 2013 the last confirmed satellites were Egeon and S/2009 S 1.
The main feature of Saturn, which distinguishes it from other planets, is its huge system of rings - its width is almost 115 thousand km with a thickness of about 5 km. The constituent elements of these formations are particles (their size reaches several tens of meters) consisting of ice, iron oxide and rocks. In addition to the system of rings, this planet has a large number of natural satellites - about 60. The largest is Titan (this satellite is the second largest in the solar system), whose radius exceeds 2.5 thousand km.
With the help of the Cassini interplanetary probe, a unique phenomenon on the planet, a thunderstorm, was captured. It turns out that on Saturn, just like on our planet Earth, thunderstorms occur, only they occur many times less often, but the duration of the thunderstorm lasts for several months. This thunderstorm in the video lasted on Saturn from January to October in 2009 and was a real storm on the planet. Radiofrequency crackles (characterizing lightning flashes) are also heard in the video, as Georg Fischer (a scientist at the Institute for Space Research in Austria) said about this unusual phenomenon - “For the first time, we are simultaneously observing lightning and hearing radio data.”
Exploring the planet
Galileo was the first to observe Saturn in 1610 through his telescope with 20x magnification. The ring was discovered by Huygens in 1658. The greatest contribution to the study of this planet was made by Cassini, who discovered several satellites and breaks in the structure of the ring, the widest of which bears his name. With the development of astronautics, the study of Saturn was continued using automatic spacecraft, the first of which was Pioneer-11 (the expedition took place in 1979). Space research continued with the Voyager and Cassini-Huygens series.
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System in terms of diameter and mass. Often, Saturn is called fraternal planets. When compared, it becomes clear why Saturn and Jupiter were designated as relatives. From the composition of their atmosphere to their rotational patterns, the two planets are very similar. It is in honor of this similarity that in Roman mythology Saturn was named after the father of the god Jupiter.
A unique feature of Saturn is the fact that this planet is the least dense in the solar system. Despite Saturn's dense, solid core, the planet's large gaseous outer layer brings the planet's average density to only 687 kg/m3. As a result, it turns out that Saturn’s density is less than that of water, and if it were the size of a matchbox, it would easily float down the flow of a spring stream.
Orbit and rotation of Saturn
The average orbital distance of Saturn is 1.43 x 109 km. This means that Saturn is 9.5 times farther from the Sun than the total distance from the Earth to the Sun. As a result, it takes sunlight approximately an hour and twenty minutes to reach the planet. In addition, taking into account Saturn's distance from the Sun, the length of the year on the planet is 10.756 Earth days; that is, about 29.5 Earth years.
The eccentricity of Saturn's orbit is the third largest after and. As a result of such a large eccentricity, the distance between the planet's perihelion (1.35 x 109 km) and aphelion (1.50 x 109 km) is quite significant - about 1.54 x 108 km.
Saturn's axial tilt, which is 26.73 degrees, is very similar to Earth's, and this explains the presence of the same seasons on the planet as on Earth. However, due to Saturn's distance from the Sun, it receives significantly less sunlight during the year and for this reason the seasons on Saturn are much more blurred than on Earth.
Talking about the rotation of Saturn is just as interesting as talking about the rotation of Jupiter. With a rotation speed of approximately 10 hours 45 minutes, Saturn is second only to Jupiter, which is the fastest rotating planet in the solar system. Such extreme rates of rotation no doubt affect the shape of the planet, giving it the shape of a spheroid, that is, a sphere that bulges out somewhat at the equator.
The second surprising feature of Saturn's rotation is the different rotation rates between different apparent latitudes. This phenomenon is formed as a result of the fact that the predominant substance in the composition of Saturn is gas rather than solid.
The ring system of Saturn is the most famous in the solar system. The rings themselves are made mostly of billions of tiny ice particles, as well as dust and other comical debris. This composition explains why the rings are visible from Earth through telescopes - ice has a very high rate of reflection of sunlight.
There are seven broad classifications among the rings: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Each ring is named according to the English alphabet in order of frequency of discovery. The most visible rings from Earth are A, B and C. In fact, each ring is made up of thousands of smaller rings literally pressed against each other. But there are gaps between the main rings. The gap between rings A and B is the largest of these gaps at 4,700 km.
The main rings begin approximately 7,000 km above Saturn's equator and extend for another 73,000 km. It is interesting to note that although this is a very significant radius, the actual thickness of the rings is no more than one kilometer.
The most common theory to explain the formation of the rings is that a medium-sized satellite in Saturn's orbit, under the influence of tidal forces, disintegrated when its orbit became too close to Saturn.
- Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the last of the planets known to ancient civilizations. It is believed that it was first observed by the inhabitants of Babylon.
Saturn is one of the five planets that can be seen with the naked eye. It is also the fifth brightest object in the solar system.
In Roman mythology, Saturn was the father of Jupiter, the king of the gods. This relationship is due to the similarity of the planets of the same name, in particular in size and composition.
Saturn releases more energy than it receives from the Sun. It is believed that this feature is due to the gravitational compression of the planet and the friction of the large amount of helium in its atmosphere.
Saturn takes 29.4 Earth years to complete its orbit around the Sun. Such slow motion relative to the stars was the reason for the ancient Assyrians to designate the planet as “Lubadsagush”, which means “the oldest of the old”.
Saturn has the fastest winds in our solar system. The speed of these winds has been measured, the maximum value being about 1800 kilometers per hour.
Saturn is the least dense planet in the solar system. The planet is mostly made of hydrogen and has a density less than that of water - which technically means Saturn will float.
Saturn has more than 150 moons. All of these satellites have an icy surface. The largest of them are Titan and Rhea. Enceladus is a very interesting satellite, as scientists are sure that a water ocean is hidden under its icy crust.
- Saturn's moon Titan is the second largest moon in the solar system, after Jupiter's moon Ganymede. Titan has a complex and dense atmosphere consisting mainly of nitrogen, water ice and rock. Titan's frozen surface has liquid lakes of methane and a topography covered in liquid nitrogen. Because of this, researchers believe that if Titan is a haven for life, then this life will be fundamentally different from earthly life.
Saturn is the flattest of the eight planets. Its polar diameter is 90% of its equatorial diameter. This is due to the fact that the low-density planet has a high rotation speed - a revolution around its axis takes Saturn 10 hours and 34 minutes.
Oval-shaped storms occur on Saturn, which are similar in structure to those that occur on Jupiter. Scientists believe that this pattern of clouds around Saturn's north pole may be a true example of the existence of atmospheric waves in the upper clouds. There is also a vortex above the south pole of Saturn, which in its shape is very similar to hurricane storms that occur on Earth.
Through telescope lenses, Saturn is usually visible in a pale yellow color. This is because its upper atmosphere contains ammonia crystals. Below this top layer are clouds that are primarily composed of water ice. Even lower, layers of icy sulfur and cold mixtures of hydrogen.
