Interesting space facts about Saturn

Saturn ...

Saturn - sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet solar system (the parameters of diameter and mass). And another most probably recognizable planet in the solar system. The reason - the ring. And although other gas giants have a planetary ring system, none of them in size and beauty can not be compared with the rings of Saturn.

1. The ice, dust and stones ...

Rings of Saturn is - ice, dust and stones ...

Hardly, you will not find a person who has not heard about the rings of Saturn. They were first observed in 1610 in a telescope by Galileo Galilei. It turns out that contrary to popular belief, Saturn's rings are not made of huge stone blocks, and pieces of ice, dust and rock.

2 62 satellite

62 Saturn's moon.

People are used to seeing in the night sky only one satellite of the planet - the moon. Others have planets much larger satellites: Jupiter of 67, Saturn - 62, Uranus - 27 Neptune - 14, and Mars - 2.

3. Helium, water, methane, ammonia

Saturn is - helium, water, methane, ammonia.

As is known, Saturn mainly composed of hydrogen (helium with impurities, water, methane and ammonia). Roughly speaking, if Saturn is placed in water, it would have floated on its surface.

4. The atmosphere of Titan

thick atmosphere and low gravity.

Saturn's largest moon is Titan. Titan's atmosphere is so thick, and the attractive force on it is so low that people would be able to fly it like birds flapping their "wings" attached to the arms.

5. From 10 to 90 m

Saturn's rings from 10 to 90 meters thick.

Saturn's rings are very thin. Although the diameter is about 250 000 km and their thickness is not more than a kilometer. Most of the rings of Saturn is only 10 - 90 meters thick.

6. One of the five

Saturn is one of the five visible planets.

With good sight from Earth with the naked eye you can see 5 planets. These are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

7. Ice Volcano

Ice Volcano Enceladus.

Sixth Saturn's size is Enceladus (500 km diameter). During the passage of the spacecraft "Voyager" by Saturn, on the surface of Enceladus showed real ice volcano. He throws a height of hundreds of kilometers of icy vapor.

8. Younger than dinosaurs

Saturn's Rings younger dinosaurs.

Scientists speculate that the rings of Saturn younger than dinosaurs. They probably were formed just 100 million years ago.

9. Life on Titan

After 5 - 6 billion years on Titan ...

The following fact also belongs to the category of assumptions. After 5 - 6 billion years, when the Sun becomes a red giant, Saturn's moon Titan will be warm enough to ensure that it was able to develop life.

10. The surface gravity

The surface gravity on Saturn.

Surface gravity on Venus, Saturn, and Uranus Neptune approximately identical. It is 15% of the Earth.

11. The difference in weight

The difference in weight on the Earth and Saturn.

A person who weighs 68 kg on Earth, Saturn would weigh 72 kg. It is not about the weight on the surface (because in fact it is not Saturn is a gas giant) and the weight at about the level of the upper layer of clouds.