Introduction

Saturn is the sixth planet from our sun and the second largest, after Jupiter. Saturn is also the only planet with a density less than water (about 30 percent less). Thisfact means that, if plopped into an immense ocean, Saturn would float. Saturn is about 9.4 times wider and 95 times more massive than Earth, and its axis. In fact, it takes this giant planet only ten hours and thrity-nine minutes-less than half the time it takes Earth_to complete a turn. As a result of this rapid spinning, Saturn has been flattened at its poles. In contrast to the relative brevity of its day, Saturn marks out a very long year. Because it is so far from the sun, it takes Saturn 29.5 Earth years to complete one orbit.

What is the composition of Saturn?

Saturn consists primarily of gas. Its hazy yellow clouds are made of crystallized ammonia, swept into bands by fierce easterly winds that have been clocked at up to 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometers) per hour at the equator. Winds near the poles, however, are much tamer. Covering Saturn's surface is a sea of liquid hydrogen and helium, which gradually becomes a metallic form of hydrogen. The liquid hydrogen and helium conduct strong electric currents that, in turn, generate the Earth's powerful magnetic field. Saturn's core, which is serveral times the size of Earth, is made of rock and ice. The planet's atmosphere is made up of about 97 percent hydrogen, 3 percent helium, and trace amounts of methane and ammonia.

What is Saturn's "Great White Spot"?

About every thirty Earth years, following Saturn's summer, a massive storm occurs. Known as the "Great White Spot," it is visible for nearly a month, shining like a spot-light on the planet's face. The spot then dissipates and stretches around the planet as a thick white stripe. The storm is thought to be a result of the warming of the atmosphere, which causes ammonia to bubble up and solidify, only to be whipped around by the planet's monstrous winds.

Have any space probes visited Saturn?

In 1980 and 1981 the world watched with wonder as the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft sent back the first detailed photos of Saturn and its spectacular rings. The two space probes also transmitted images of Saturn's moons, revealing new details about many of them and even discovering a few news ones. This elaborate system of planet, rings, and moons still holds many mysteries, most of which will probably remain unsolved untill the next scheduled spacecraft reaches Saturn in the year 2004.

How were Saturn's rings interpreted by early astronomers?

Centuries ago, astronomers saw Saturn's ring as bulges on either side of the planet, which they guessed were moons. For this reason astronomer Galileo Galilei hypothesized in the early 1600s that Saturn was a triple-planet.

What is the physical composition of Saturn's rings?

While the compositionof Saturn's rings is not entirely known, scientists do know that they contain dust and a large quantity of water. The water is frozen in various forms, such as snowflacks, snowballs, hailstones, and icebergs, ranging in size from 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) or so to 10 yards (9 meters) in diameter.

How were Saturn's rings formed?

Scientists are not sure how Saturn's rings were formed. One theory suggests that the rings were once larger moons that were smashed to tiny pieces by comets or meteorites. Another theory holds that the rings are pre-moon matter, cosmic fragments that never quite formed a moon.

Is Saturn, as is commonly depicted, the only planet with rings?
Saturn's most outstanding characteristic is its set of rings. The three other largest planets (Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune) also feature rings, but Saturn's are by far the most spectacular.

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