Saturn
Leslie Sugiyama
Aaron Fujioka
Pd. 3
Saturn

Sixth largest planet from the Sun

Second largest planet in the solar system

Classified as a Gas Giant
About

Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and
Neptune, together are sometimes
referred to as the Jovian.

Radius is nine times larger than
Earth’s

1/8 average of Earths density (due
to larger volume)

Mass is 95 times greater than
Earths.
What it’s made of ?

Interior is composed of:


core of iron, nickel, silicon, and oxygen compounds
Surrounded by:

a deep layer of metallic hydrogen, intermediate layer
of liquid hydrogen, and liquid helium

a gaseous outer layer
Discovery

1610, the Italian scientist Galileo
pointed a telescope toward the
planet (not enough to find out what
it really was)

1656, a Dutch scientist named
Christiaan Huygens used a bigger
and better telescope to look at
Saturn.
Rotation

27 degrees from upright in
relation to orbit

Rotates the fastest

Length of a day is 10 hours, 33
min

This causes a bulge at the equator
and the poles to flatten

Diameter is 7,337 miles
Atmosphere

Consists of hydrogen and helium

Traces of water, ammonia, methane,
other

Covered by a dense layer of clouds

Varied colors on cloud tops are
called belts and zones

Caused by differences in
temperature and altitude of gases
Atmosphere cont.

Receives 1 percent of amount of
sunlight that Earth does

Winds go up to 1,100 miles per
hour

A satellite detected lightning in
2010

First recorded instance of lightning
outside of Earth’s atmosphere
The Rings

Seven main rings surround the
equator, but do not touch it

Gaps of several thousand miles
separate the major rings

Thin bands of different
brightness called ringlets

Made of pieces of ice that are
dust sized to more than 10 feet
in diameter
Temperature

The tilt causes the sun to heat
each of the northern and
southern halves unequally

This causes temperature
changes and seasons

Actual temperature varies
with altitude

The average is 218 °F (–139
°C)
Satellites (Moons)

Astronomers have identified
at least 62

Largest is Titan, diameter of
3200 miles

Only satellite in solar system
with a significant
atmosphere

Most abundant gases are
nitrogen and methane
Works Cited

Angelo, Joseph A., Jr. "Saturn." Science Online. Facts On File,
Inc. Web. 8 Mar. 2011.
<http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5
&iPin=ESA2410&SingleRecord=True>.

Daintith, John, and William Gould. "Saturn." Science Online.
Facts On File, Inc. Web. 8 Mar. 2011.
<http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5
&iPin=DAFE2119&SingleRecord=True>.

Kusky, Timothy. "Saturn." Science Online. Facts On File, Inc.
Web. 8 Mar. 2011.
<http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5
&iPin=EESS0211&SingleRecord=True>.

Lunine, Jonathan I. "Saturn." World Book Advanced. World