Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun, has the most spectacular set of rings in the solar system. We now know that Saturn has 59 moons in addition to its complex ring system.
Saturn is one of the most recognizable and beautiful objects in the solar system . At the same time, however, this ringed giant has many secrets astronomers have struggled to uncover for centuries. The Sixth Planet Named for the Roman god Saturnas, the god of and father of Zeus, Saturn was first observed through a telescope in 1610 by Galileo Galilei. We have learned much about this unusual planet in four hundred years. The sixth planet from the Sun, Saturn is the second-largest in the solar system, outclassed only by Jupiter. It is a gas giant, composed of ninety-three percent, six percent helium, and trace amounts of other gases that contribute to its striped appearance. Saturn has four principle layers. The core is solid rock, roughly Earth-size, followed by a layer of liquid metallic hydrogen. Further away from the core, the metallic hydrogen becomes liquid molecular hydrogen, and the topmost layer is gaseous. As a gas giant, Saturn has no distinct surface, but great ice and ammonia clouds form distinct atmospheric bands and stripes. The planet's rotation creates high winds, up to 1,100 miles (1,800 kilometers) per hour at the equator, and as Saturn reaches the end of its summer when the atmosphere is warmest, an immense storm appears. It was first observed in 1876, and has been christened the Great White Spot because of its visibility and brilliance. It recurs approximately every thirty years.
SATURN
Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun, has the most spectacular set of rings in the solar system. We now know that Saturn has 59 moons in addition to its complex ring system.Saturn is one of the most recognizable and beautiful objects in the solar system . At the same time, however, this ringed giant has many secrets astronomers have struggled to uncover for centuries.
The Sixth Planet
Named for the Roman god Saturnas, the god of and father of Zeus, Saturn was first observed through a telescope in 1610 by Galileo Galilei. We have learned much about this unusual planet in four hundred years.
The sixth planet from the Sun, Saturn is the second-largest in the solar system, outclassed only by Jupiter. It is a gas giant, composed of ninety-three percent, six percent helium, and trace amounts of other gases that contribute to its striped appearance.
Saturn has four principle layers. The core is solid rock, roughly Earth-size, followed by a layer of liquid metallic hydrogen. Further away from the core, the metallic hydrogen becomes liquid molecular hydrogen, and the topmost layer is gaseous. As a gas giant, Saturn has no distinct surface, but great ice and ammonia clouds form distinct atmospheric bands and stripes. The planet's rotation creates high winds, up to 1,100 miles (1,800 kilometers) per hour at the equator, and as Saturn reaches the end of its summer when the atmosphere is warmest, an immense storm appears. It was first observed in 1876, and has been christened the Great White Spot because of its visibility and brilliance. It recurs approximately every thirty years.