Title: Saturn
1Saturn
2Facts About Saturns Rings
- There are billions of ring particles in the
entire ring system. The ring particle sizes range
from tiny, dust-sized icy grains to a few
particles as large as mountains. Two tiny moons
orbit in gaps in the rings and keep the gaps
open. Other particles are too tiny to see but
create propeller-shaped objects in the rings that
lets us know they are there. 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 the planet. Information from NASA's
Cassini mission will help reveal how they formed,
how they maintain their orbit and, above all, why
they are there in the first place.
3When was it Found
- The short answer is that nobody knows!
Saturn was found in the prehistoric times, before
the ancient Romans and the ancient Greeks. The
planet was named after the Roman god Saturnus .
4Description of Saturn
- It is the 6th planet from the sun and the
2nd largest in the solar system, having a long
period of uprising about the sun of 29.5 years at
a mean distance of about 886,000,000 miles ,a
mean diameter of approximately 74,000 miles, and
a mass 95 times that of Earth.
5Facts of Saturns Size
- The equatorial diameter is 120,536
kilometers or 74,898 miles. The polar diameter
is 108,728 kilometers or 67,560 miles, making it
the most flattened planet. The density is 0.69,
the least dense planet and the only one lighter
than water The volume is 764 times that of Earth,
but only 95 times more massive.
6What Saturn is made of
Like Jupiter, Saturn is composed almost
entirely of hydrogen this abundant element
makes up 96 of the planet, with the remaining 3
made of helium, and then trace amounts of other
chemicals. These are thought to match the
primordial elements that were present during the
formation of the Solar Systems. Like the other
Planets in the Solar System, Saturn does have
separate layers, as you descend down into The
Planet.
7Facts about Saturns Moons
- Saturn has 53 known moons, 15 of which were
discovered after Cassini launched. - Titan is the largest of Saturn's moons, and is
larger than the planets Mercury and Pluto - Saturns rings may be particles of an old moon
orbiting the planet, smashed apart in a collision
about 50 million years ago. - Here are a few
Calypso
Titan
Mimas
Janus
Enceladus
Tethys
Rhea
Hyperion
8Fun Facts
- It is considered the prettiest planet by many
people. - It is believed that Saturns rings will one day
disappear. They will either spread out into space
or get sucked into the planet by its Pull of
Gravity. This will happen in about 50 million
years. - Galileo was the first astronomer to observe
Saturn's rings... although could not see the
rings clearly with his small telescope and
thought they were large Satellites. - The atmosphere of Saturn comprises mostly of
Hydrogen and Helium.
9Cassini has been exploring the Saturn system of
rings and moons since 2004.
10More Facts About Saturn
- A Year on Saturn would take about 30 Earth yrs.
However, a day on Saturn is about 10 and a half
hrs. - A 100 pound object on Earth would weight 116
pounds on Saturn. - Saturn has no solid surface. It is a giant ball
of gas, but it does have a solid inner core. - Titan is the only Saturn Moon with an atmosphere.
11Phoebe
Dione
Pandora
Lapetus
Thank You For Watching My Slide Show!
Epimetheus
Telesto