ATMOSPHERE
Saturn is made up of hydrogen which it captured in the early stages of its formation. Most of the remaining composition is helium. Other elements, such as methane and ammonia, are found in small doses. Nitrogen and oxygen also mix within the atmosphere. Although helium makes up almost a quarter of the mass of the planet, the atmosphere itself is only about 7 percent helium.
(http://www.space.com/18475-saturn-s-atmosphere-composition-climate-and-clouds.html)
ATMOSPHERE
Saturn is made up of hydrogen which it captured in the early stages of its formation. Most of the remaining composition is helium. Other elements, such as methane and ammonia, are found in small doses. Nitrogen and oxygen also mix within the atmosphere. Although helium makes up almost a quarter of the mass of the planet, the atmosphere itself is only about 7 percent helium.
(http://www.space.com/18475-saturn-s-atmosphere-composition-climate-and-clouds.html)
CLIMATE & WEATHER Saturn's temperature and pressure increase from the exterior of the planet toward its center, changing the makeup of the clouds. The upper layers of clouds are made up of ammonia ice. Traveling toward the core, clouds of water ice form, with bands of ammonium hydrosulfide ice intermixed. The lower layers of Saturn see higher temperatures and pressures. Water droplets are found here, mixed with ammonia. (http://www.space.com/18475-saturn-s-atmosphere-composition-climate-and-clouds.html) |
PLANET SIZE
The mean radius of the body of Saturn is 36,184 miles (58,232 kilometers), the distance between Saturn and the Sun is 1.429 billion km, the density of the planet is 687 kg/m³, and its gravity is 10.44 m/s². (http://www.space.com/18479-how-big-is-saturn.html) MOONS Saturn has a total of 53 moon: 1. Aegaeon 2. Aegir 3. Albiorix 4. Anthe 5. Atlas 6. Bebhionn 7. Bergelmir 8. Bestla 9. Calypso 10. Daphnis 11. Dione 12. Enceladus 13. Epimetheus 14. Erriapus 15. Farbauti 16. Fenrir 17. Fornjot 18. Greip 19. Hati 20. Helene 21. Hyperion 22. Hyrrokkin 23. Iapetus 24. Ijiraq 25. Janus 26.Jarnsaxa (http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/saturn/moons) |
27. Kari 28.Kiviuq 29. Loge 30.Methone 31. Mimas 32. Mundilfari 33. Narvi 34. Paaliaq 35. Pallene 36. Pan 37. Pandora 38. Phoebe 39. Polydeuces 40. Prometheus 41. Rhea 42. Siarnaq 43. Skathi 44. Skoll 45. Surtur 46. Suttungr 47. Tarvos 48. Tarqeq 49. Telesto 50. Tethys 51. Thrymr 52. Titan 53. Ymir |
FORMATION
Like the rest of the planets, Saturn formed from the solar nebula about 4.6 billion years ago. This solar nebula started out as a vast cloud of cold gas and dust which was disturbed somehow – perhaps by colliding with another cloud, or the shock wave from a supernova.
The cloud compressed down, forming a protostar in the center, surround by a flattened disk of material. The inner part of this disk contained more heavier elements, and formed the terrestrial planets, while the outer region was cold enough for ices to remain intact.
These ices came together, forming larger and larger planetesimals. And these planetesimals collided together, merging into planets. At some point in Saturn’s early history, a moon roughly 300 km across might have been torn apart to create the rings that circle the planet today.
(http://www.universetoday.com/15385/formation-of-saturn/)
Like the rest of the planets, Saturn formed from the solar nebula about 4.6 billion years ago. This solar nebula started out as a vast cloud of cold gas and dust which was disturbed somehow – perhaps by colliding with another cloud, or the shock wave from a supernova.
The cloud compressed down, forming a protostar in the center, surround by a flattened disk of material. The inner part of this disk contained more heavier elements, and formed the terrestrial planets, while the outer region was cold enough for ices to remain intact.
These ices came together, forming larger and larger planetesimals. And these planetesimals collided together, merging into planets. At some point in Saturn’s early history, a moon roughly 300 km across might have been torn apart to create the rings that circle the planet today.
(http://www.universetoday.com/15385/formation-of-saturn/)