Rings of Saturn | Something new about Saturn and its ring
History:
Saturn is named after the Roman god of harvest and time, the equivalent of the Greek god of time, Cronos. Out of the five visible planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter), Saturn is the most distant from Earth, at a distance of 10.6 AU and an average of 9.6 AU away from the Sun.Saturn is the second largest planet in our Solar System. Approximately 750 Earths could fit inside of Saturn.Saturn is the 6th planet from Sun and is made mostly of gases. It has a lot of helium.
Environment
Saturn’s environment is not conducive to life as we know it. The temperatures, pressures, radiation levels and materials that characterize this planet are most likely too extreme and volatile for organisms to adapt to.Saturn's atmospheric environment is one of strong gravity, high pressure, strong winds, from 225 miles per hour to 1000 miles per hour, and cold temperatures of -270 degrees to +80 degrees. With winds like these, it is hard to have peace and quiet.
Saturn's ring
Saturn’s rings are made up of bits of ice, dust and rock. Some of these bits are as small as grains of sand. Some are much larger than tall buildings. Some are up to a kilometer (more than half-a-mile) across.
In 1610, famous astronomer and church enemy Galileo Galilei was the first person to point his telescope at Saturn. He noted seeing odd, ear-like shapes at the planet's side. Since his telescope was not powerful enough, he didn't realize the view was of Saturn's rings.
Saturn's rings are made of billions of pieces of ice and rock, ranging in size from a grain of salt to a small mountain.
The rings are named alphabetically based on their date of discovery. Closest to the planet is the D ring, then comes the C, B, A, F, Janus/Epimetheus, G, Pallene, and E rings.
Saturn's rings are believed to be remnants from passing comets (primarily), asteroids, or broken-up moons - largely because 93% of their mass is water in ice form
The first person to actually see and identify Saturn's rings was Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens in 1655. At the time, he proposed the gas giant had one solid, thin, and flat ring.
Rings of Saturn | Something new about Saturn and its ring
Saturn and its rings are the jewel of the solar system, but the gas giant's lack of a surface means humans won't likely find a foothold there. Saturn's moons Titan and Enceladus, however, might be better choices. Without a solid surface, Saturn isn't likely a place we could ever live.
Some new:
Saturn has 53 confirmed moons and another 9 provisional moons (for a possible total of 62 moons).
Saturn is called a “naked eye” planet because it can be seen without a telescope or binoculars.
Because Saturn is so far from the Sun, the Sun would appear 10 times smaller viewed from Saturn than it does from Earth. On average, Earth receives 90 times more sunlight than Saturn.
Rings of Saturn | Something new about Saturn and its ring
saturn:
Equatorial Diameter: 120,536 km
Polar Diameter: 108,728 km
Mass: 5.68 × 10^26 kg (95 Earths)
Moons: 82 (Titan, Enceladus, Iapetus & Rhea)
Rings: 30+ (7 Groups)
Orbit Distance: 1,426,666,422 km (9.58 AU)
Orbit Period: 10,756 days (29.5 years)
Surface Temperature: -139 °C
First Record: 8th century BC
Recorded By: Assyrians
People also ask
Why is Saturn losing its rings?
In fact, they're vanishing. The rings are losing material every year. Incoming micrometeorites and the sun's radiation disturb the small, dusty pieces of ring matter, electrifying them. The particles, suddenly transformed, become attuned to Saturn's magnetic field lines and start spiraling along those invisible paths.
What is the ring for Saturn?
Rings. Saturn's rings are thought to be pieces of comets, asteroids, or shattered moons that broke up before they reached the planet, torn apart by Saturn's powerful gravity. They are made of billions of small chunks of ice and rock coated with other materials such as dust.
How long will Saturns rings last?
Saturn is unlikely to lose its grandeur during our lifetimes. At the current rate of degradation, it is estimated that the core of the ring would disappear in 100 million years and the rings will completely disappear in 300 million years.
What are the 7 rings of Saturn called?
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.
Why is Jupiter losing its rings?
The reason for Jupiter's absent rings is relatively simple: its enormous moons prevent them from forming.
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