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Saturn. Shelby Karis Amanda. Basic Information. Saturn is a Jovial planet, which means it doesn’t have a solid surface. It was first observed with a telescope by Galileo in 1610. Rotation is west to east.
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Saturn Shelby Karis Amanda
Basic Information • Saturn is a Jovial planet, which means it doesn’t have a solid surface. • It was first observed with a telescope by Galileo in 1610. • Rotation is west to east. • The temperatures on Saturn are a constant -125 degrees Celsius day and night. Days are around 10 hours long. • A year on Saturn lasts 29.7 earth years. • Saturn is 9.65 AU from the sun.
Comparrisonto Earth • Saturn has 95 times more mass than earth, but it is only one eighth the density of earth. This is because Saturn is made primarily of gasses. • Saturn’s tilt is very similar to Earth’s; it’s tilt is 26.7 degrees, while earth’s is 23.4 degrees.
Composition and Structure • Saturn is a gas planet made up primarily of hydrogen. The hydrogen compresses into a liquid towards the center and in the center is a small metallic hydrogen core which is responsible for Saturn’s magnetic field. Temperatures inside the core can reach 27,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Saturn’s atmosphere is made up of 88% hydrogen, 11% helium and the remainder ammonia and methane.
Missions- Pioneer 11 • (1973-1979) • Fly-by • Transmitted low-resolution images of Saturn, discovered new rings and moons.
Missions- Voyager 1 • (1977-1980) • Fly-by • Took 900 images of Saturn’s moons. • Discovered complexity of the rings and the moon Titan’s atmosphere.
Missions- Voyager 2 • (1977-1981) • Fly-by • Took 1150 images of the moons.
Missions- Cassini • (1997-2004) • Orbiter probe • Performed experiments to help scientists understand Saturn’s moons, rings, atmosphere and magnetosphere.
Saturn’s Rings • There are millions of particles that make up the rings ranging from the size of a dust particle to mountain sized particles. • The rings are believed to be pieces of comets, asteroids or shattered moons that broke up before they reached the planet. • Each ring orbits at a different speed around Saturn. • The main rings, outwards from Saturn are C, B and A.
Saturn’s Moons • Saturn has 60 moons, 52 of which have been given official names. • Titan is Saturn’s largest moon and the second largest moon in the solar system. • It was discovered by Christiaan Huygens on March 25, 1655. • It’s large atmosphere is made up of nitrogen and methane. • Despite its size, it doesn’t contain much mass.
Sources • http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Saturn&Display=Rings • \ • http://lasp.colorado.edu/education/outerplanets/giantplanets_whatandwhere.php • http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_(moon) • http://lasp.colorado.edu/education/outerplanets/giantplanets_whatandwhere.php • http://library.thinkquest.org/C0110277/solar_system/saturn/compo1.htm • http://www.astro-observer.com/solarsystem/saturn/stats.html • http://www.universetoday.com/15399/tilt-of-saturn/ • http://www.universetoday.com/46237/who-discovered-saturn/