Below are ten facts about Saturn and a table of statistics.


Saturn is the second largest planet in the Solar System after Jupiter. It is so big that Earth could fit into it 755 times.


Saturn is a slightly smaller version of Jupiter, with similar, but less distinctive, surface patterns. Its only main difference is its amazing rings.


Saturn's rings may be particles of an old moon orbiting the planet, smashed apart in a collision about 50 million years ago.


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.


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 will happen in about 50 million years.


Despite its similarities to Jupiter, there is no great spot on Saturn, although the planet does have stormy weather.


Saturn is twice as far away from the Sun as Jupiter is.

  


Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is the only moon in the Solar System to possess an atmosphere.


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.


A year on Saturn would take almost thirty Earth years. However, a day on Saturn is about 10 and a half hours.

VIEW FACTS ABOUT OTHER DESTINATIONS
The Sun - Mercury - Venus - Earth - The Moon - Mars - Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus - Neptune - Pluto and Dwarf Planets

PLANETARY STATISTICS

NAME Saturn
MEANING OF NAME Saturn was the Roman god of agriculture. Its Greek equivalent is Kronos.
NAME IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES Saturne (French), Saturn (German, Russian), Saturno (Spanish, Portuguese, Italian), Saturnus (Latin), Kronos (Greek) 
AVERAGE DISTANCE FROM THE SUN 1,426,725,400 km / 885,904,700 miles / 9.537 A.U.
Comparison with Earth: 149,597,890 km / 92,955,820 miles / 1.000 A.U.
CLOSEST DISTANCE TO THE SUN (PERIHELION) 1,349,467,000 km / 838,519,000 miles / 9.021 A.U.
Comparison with Earth: 147,100,000 km / 91,400,000 miles / 0.983 A.U.
FARTHEST DISTANCE FROM THE SUN (APHELION) 1,503,983,000 km / 934,530,000 miles / 10.054 A.U.
Comparison with Earth: 152,100,000 km / 94,500,000 miles / 1.017 A.U.
DIAMETER ACROSS EQUATOR

120,536 km / 74,898 miles
Comparison with Earth: 12,756 km / 7,926 miles
DIAGRAM SHOWING PLANET'S SIZE COMPARED TO THE SIZE OF EARTH

CIRCUMFERENCE AROUND EQUATOR 378,675 km / 235,298 miles
Comparison with Earth: 40,074 km / 24,901 miles
MASS 568,510,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Comparison with Earth 5,973,700,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg
TIME TO SPIN ON AXIS
10 hours, 39 minutes
Comparison with Earth: 23 hours, 56 minutes
TIME TO ORBIT THE SUN (1 YEAR) 29.4 years
Comparison with Earth: 365 days, 6 hours
DISTANCE PLANET TRAVELS TO COMPLETE ONE ORBIT 8,725,000,000 km / 5,421,000,000 miles
Comparison with Earth: 924,375,700 km / 574,380,400 miles
GRAVITY (EARTH = 1) .91
ESCAPE VELOCITY 127,760 km/h / 79,390 mph 
Comparison with Earth: 40,248 km/h / 25,009 mph
TEMPERATURE AT CLOUD TOPS -178 °c / -288 °F  / 95 K
Comparison with Earth's average temperature: 15 °c / 59 °F / 288 K
CONTENTS OF ATMOSPHERE Hydrogen (75%), Helium (25%), traces of other elements like methane, ammonia and water ice.
KNOWN MOONS (listed in order of distance from Saturn, including year of discovery - not all moons have yet been named)  There are 60 moons known to orbit Saturn - Pan (1981), Daphnis (2005), Atlas (1980), Prometheus (1980), Pandora (1980), Epimetheus (1980), Janus (1980), Mimas (1789), Methone (2004), Anthe (2004), Pallene (2004), Enceladus (1789), Telesto (1980), Tethys (1684), Calypso (1980), Dione (1684), Helene (1980), Polydeuces (2004), Rhea (1672), Titan (1655), Hyperion (1848), Iapetus (1671), Kiviuq (2000), Ijiraq (2000), Phoebe (1898), Paaliaq (2000), Skathi (2000), Albiorix (2000), S/2007 S3 (2007), Bebhionn (2004), Erriapo (2000), Siarnaq (2000), Skoll (2006), Tarvos (2000), Tarqeq (2007), Greip (2006), Hyrrokkin (2004), S/2004 S13 (2004), S/2004 S17 (2004), Mundilfari (2000), Jarnsaxa (2006), S/2006 S1 (2006), Narvi (2003), Bergelmir (2004), Suttungr (2000), S/2004 S12 (2004), S/2004 S07 (2004), Hati (2004), Bestla (2004), Farbauti (2004), Thrymr (2000), S/2007 S2 (2007), Aegir (2004), S/2006 S3 (2006), Kari (2006), Fenrir (2004), Surtur (2006), Ymir (2000), Loge (2006), Fornjot (2004)
PAST MISSIONS (including nationality and year of launch) Pioneer 11 (USA, 1973)
PRESENT MISSIONS Voyager 1 (USA, 1977), Voyager 2 (USA, 1977), Cassini-Huygens (1997)
PLANNED MISSIONS Saturn flyby and probes (USA, 2015)
NOTABLE FEATURES Saturn's rings are the most prominent of any planet in the Solar System.

SATURN MENU WELCOME TO SATURN

SATURN'S RINGS

 SATURN'S MOONS
TITAN, A MOON OF SATURN TEN FACTS ABOUT SATURN

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PAGE ADDED: 3rd March 2000
LAST UPDATED: 4th May 2008