Saturn: Facts - NASA Science (2024)

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What does NASA say about Saturn? ›

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in our solar system. Adorned with a dazzling system of icy rings, Saturn is unique among the planets. It is not the only planet to have rings, but none are as spectacular or as complex as Saturn's.

The seven main rings are labeled in the order in which they were discovered. From the planet outward, they are D, C, B, A, F, G and E. The D ring is very faint and closest to Saturn. The main rings are A, B and C.

The Saturn system teems with natural satellites, from planet-sized Titan to small oddballs, shaped like potatoes or ravioli. As of June 8, 2023, Saturn has 146 moons in its orbit. The moons range in size from larger than the planet Mercury – the giant moon Titan – to as small as a sports arena.

Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and the second-largest planet in the solar system. It has a whopping 145 moons. It's the farthest planet from Earth that's visible to the unaided eye, but the planet's most outstanding features — its rings — are better viewed through a telescope.

This time, the rings will disappear from sight in March 2025. “They'll gradually come back into view as seen through large telescopes, before sliding out of view again in November 2025,” writes Horner.

The surface gravity on Saturn is about 107% of the surface gravity on Earth, so if you weigh 100 pounds on Earth, you would weigh 107 pounds on Saturn (assuming you could find someplace to, well, stand).

Due to Saturn's vast distance from the Sun, the gas giant's average "surface" temperature is -178 degrees Celsius or -288.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists believe there is a small, dense core at the center of the planet that is extremely hot and may be over 8,300 degrees Celsius or 15,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

The rings of Saturn are the most extensive and complex ring system of any planet in the Solar System. They consist of countless small particles, ranging in size from micrometers to meters, that orbit around Saturn. The ring particles are made almost entirely of water ice, with a trace component of rocky material.

There are 7 main rings around Saturn, labelled A,B,C,D,E,F and G, but many of these have their own subdivisions, gaps, structures and moonlets within.

A planet's day is the time it takes the planet to rotate or spin once on its axis. Saturn rotates faster than Earth so a day on Saturn is shorter than a day on Earth. A day on Saturn is about 10.7 hours long while a day on Earth is 23.934 hours long.

Which planet has 94 moons? ›

Moons of Jupiter

Jupiter has 95 moons that have been officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union.

Saturn was named after the Roman god of agriculture. According to myth, Saturn introduced agriculture to his people by teaching them how to farm the land. Saturn was also the Roman god of time and this is perhaps why the slowest (in orbit around the Sun) of the five bright planets was named after him.

The most common nickname for Saturn is “The Ringed Planet”, a nickname arising from the large, beautiful and extensive ring system that encircles the planet. These rings are mostly made from chunks of ice and carbonaceous dust.

Saturn's diameter is more than nine times larger than Earth's. The planet is about 95 times as massive as Earth and has more than 750 times its volume. By comparison, Jupiter is about 1.2 times as big as Saturn and 3.2 times as massive. Saturn has the lowest mean density of any of the planets.