Saturn is one of the most striking planets that exist and that we know to be found in our Solar System. But really, how much do we know about this planet, which is the second largest in the Solar System in terms of mass?
Saturn is the sixth planet that we find in the Solar System from the Sun. It is the only planet that has giant rings visible from the Earth itself, which were discovered when the telescope arrived.
The moons of Saturn
We are used to the fact that on Earth we only have one Moon. But there are planets that have more than one. This is the case of Saturn, which has 82 moons around the planet. Titan is its largest moon and one of the most interesting since it is believed to be an example of what the Earth would have been like in its initial process due to its high concentration of methane and for having a rich atmosphere.
The Rings
Another great feature of Saturn are its rings. Galileo was one of the first to observe them and was perplexed by such a discovery. From time to time, new rings are discovered on Saturn that remain within their own orbit. To date, a total of 16 rings have been observed on the planet.
Terms
The composition of the planet’s air makes living conditions, a priori, impossible. Saturn’s atmosphere is made up of 96% molecular hydrogen, 3% helium, and 1% other substances such as ammonia and ethane.
Its atmosphere is also considered very unstable. According to experts in the upper part of the planet, hurricane-force winds have been observed that have reached almost 1,800 kilometers per hour.
Due to its size, (108,728 kilometers in equatorial diameter) the observation conditions that we have of the planet are still limited. A few years ago, at the well-known north pole of Saturn, a hexagonal shape was discovered that, through thermal images, confirmed that it was a 60-kilometer-deep hole, but it has not been possible to determine what it is.
Years on Saturn
Saturn’s rotation is very different from Earth’s. It is estimated that it takes 10,760 days for the planet to make a complete revolution on its own axis, so the Earth years would be very different.
It is estimated that when Saturn completes one complete revolution, about 30 full years would have passed on Earth. This makes Saturn one of the most interesting planets in our Solar System.
