What is Saturn?

Overview

Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun, is a gas giant renowned for its spectacular ring system, making it one of the most picturesque objects in the solar system.

  • Diameter: 116,460 km
  • Distance from Sun: 1.43 billion km
  • Mass: 5.68 x 10²⁶ kg
  • Orbit Period: 29.46 years
  • Rotation Period: 10.66 hours
Saturn from Voyager 1

Image credit: NASA/JPL

Details

Atmosphere: Mostly hydrogen (96%) and helium (3%), with ammonia ice giving it a pale yellow tint.

Moons: Over 83 known moons, including Titan (larger than Mercury) and Enceladus, which has water geysers.

Surface: No solid surface—layers of gas transition to liquid hydrogen and a rocky core.

Exploration: Studied by Pioneer 11, Voyager, and Cassini, which spent 13 years orbiting and imaging its rings and moons.

Fun Fact: Saturn's rings are thin—only 10 meters thick in places—despite spanning up to 282,000 km.