1. Saturn is the second largest planet in the Solar System after
Jupiter. It is so big that Earth could fit into it 755 times.
2. Saturn is a slightly smaller version of Jupiter, with similar, but less distinctive, surface patterns. Like Jupiter, it is mostly made up of hydrogen and helium gas. Saturn's main difference to Jupiter is the amazing set of rings that orbit it.
3. Saturn's rings may be particles of an old moon orbiting the planet, smashed apart in a collision millions years ago.
4. Saturn's rings
orbit the planet at different tilts. Sometimes, they can appear like
'ears' sticking out of the planet. At other times, they are flat on when
seen from
Earth and are hardly visible. This shows how thin they can be.
5. It is believed that Saturn's rings will one day disappear. They will either disperse (spread out) into space or get sucked into the planet by its pull of gravity. This isn't likely to happen anytime soon, more than likely occurring in ten of millions of years time.
6. Despite its similarities to Jupiter, there is no great spot on Saturn, although the planet does have stormy weather.
7. Saturn is twice as far away from the Sun as Jupiter is.
8. Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is the only moon in the Solar System to possess an atmosphere.
9. Christiaan Huygens, the Dutch astronomer who discovered Saturn's moon Titan in 1655, also invented the pendulum clock.
10. It is thought that Titan's atmosphere is so thick, and its gravity so weak, that humans beings could strap on a set of wings and fly through its skies. Of course, it's too cold to survive there but it's an interesting thought!
11. The first sounds to be recorded from any other world in the solar system were recorded from Saturn's moon Titan by the Huygens space probe in 2005.
12. Saturn has such a low density (meaning that its particles are far apart) that, if there was an ocean big enough, Saturn would float on it. In comparison, Earth and Mercury would sink to the bottom quickest.
13. A year on Saturn would take almost thirty Earth years. However, a day on Saturn is about 10 and a half hours.
14. If Earth had rings than spanned as far out as Saturn's, they would reach about three quarters of the way to the Moon.
2. Saturn is a slightly smaller version of Jupiter, with similar, but less distinctive, surface patterns. Like Jupiter, it is mostly made up of hydrogen and helium gas. Saturn's main difference to Jupiter is the amazing set of rings that orbit it.
3. Saturn's rings may be particles of an old moon orbiting the planet, smashed apart in a collision millions years ago.
4. Saturn's rings
orbit the planet at different tilts. Sometimes, they can appear like
'ears' sticking out of the planet. At other times, they are flat on when
seen from
Earth and are hardly visible. This shows how thin they can be.5. It is believed that Saturn's rings will one day disappear. They will either disperse (spread out) into space or get sucked into the planet by its pull of gravity. This isn't likely to happen anytime soon, more than likely occurring in ten of millions of years time.
6. Despite its similarities to Jupiter, there is no great spot on Saturn, although the planet does have stormy weather.
7. Saturn is twice as far away from the Sun as Jupiter is.
8. Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is the only moon in the Solar System to possess an atmosphere.
9. Christiaan Huygens, the Dutch astronomer who discovered Saturn's moon Titan in 1655, also invented the pendulum clock.
10. It is thought that Titan's atmosphere is so thick, and its gravity so weak, that humans beings could strap on a set of wings and fly through its skies. Of course, it's too cold to survive there but it's an interesting thought!
11. The first sounds to be recorded from any other world in the solar system were recorded from Saturn's moon Titan by the Huygens space probe in 2005.
12. Saturn has such a low density (meaning that its particles are far apart) that, if there was an ocean big enough, Saturn would float on it. In comparison, Earth and Mercury would sink to the bottom quickest.
13. A year on Saturn would take almost thirty Earth years. However, a day on Saturn is about 10 and a half hours.
14. If Earth had rings than spanned as far out as Saturn's, they would reach about three quarters of the way to the Moon.
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