SATURN

INTRODUCTION Saturn
MERCURY
VENUS
EARTH
MARS
JUPITER
SATURN
URANUS
NEPTUNE
PLUTO
SUN

    SATURN
Name:Saturn
Position:Sixth
Diameter:120536 KM
Mass:5.68*1026 KG
Temp. range:
No. of moons: THIRTY
Distance from sun: 1.4294*109 KM
Distance from earth: 1.2804*109 KM
Time to rotate on axis:
Time to orbit the sun: 29 yrs. 10 mon. 23 days 21 hrs. 20 min.
Comments: least dense of the planets

    Saturn, the second larget planet in the solar system, is known since prehistoric times. Galileo was the first to observe it with a telescope in 1610, while Pioneer 11 the first to visit it in 1979.

    The fast rotation of Saturn on ts axis generates a strong magnetic field. How ever, it's specific gravity is even less than that of water.

    75% hydrogen, 25% helium with traces of methane, water, ammonia and rock is the main composition of Saturn making it the least dense of all the planets. Similar to Jupiter, the core is rocky, liquid metallic hydrogen layer and a molecular hydrogen layer. Saturn radiates more energy into space than it recieves from the sun.

    Saturns' thoousands of rings are composed of innumerable small particles each in an independent orbit. They range in size from a centimeter to several meters. These particles seem to be composed primeraly of water ice. Saturn rings are less than one km thick and are nearly 250000 km in diameter. Complex tidal resonances between some of Saturn's moons and the ring system are clearly important in keeping the rings in place. Originof Saturns' rings is unknown. May be debris fro a former moon that was shattered in a collision with another celestial body.

Saturn has 18 named satellites plus 12 recently discovered and as yet unnamed ones.

PAN

Names: Pan
Diameter: 10 KM
Mass: ?
Orbit: 134000 KM from Saturn

ATLAS

Names: Atlas
Diameter: 14 KM
Mass: ?
Orbit: 138000 KM from Saturn

PROMETHEUS

Names: Prometheus
Diameter: 46 KM
Mass: 2.70*1017 KG
Orbit: 139000 KM from Saturn

PANDORA

Names: Pandora
Diameter: 46 KM
Mass: 2.20*1017 KG
Orbit: 142000 KM from Saturn

EPIMETHEUS

Names: Epimetheus
Diameter: 57 KM
Mass: 5.60*1017 KG
Orbit: 151000 KM from Saturn

JANUS

Names: Janus
Diameter: 89 KM
Mass: 2.01*1018 KG
Orbit: 151000 KM from Saturn

MIMAS

Names: Mimas
Diameter: 196 KM
Mass: 3.80*1019 KG
Orbit: 186000 KM from Saturn

ENCELADUS

Names: Enceladus
Diameter: 260 KM
Mass: 8.40*1019 KG
Orbit: 238000 KM from Saturn

TETHYS

Names: Tethys
Diameter: 530 KM
Mass: 7.55*1020 KG
Orbit: 295000 KM from Saturn

TELESTO

Names: Telesto
Diameter: 15 KM
Mass: ?
Orbit: 295000 KM from Saturn

CALYPSO

Names: Calypso
Diameter: 13 KM
Mass: ?
Orbit: 295000 KM from Saturn

DIONE

Names: Dione
Diameter: 560 KM
Mass: 1.05*1021 KG
Orbit: 377000 KM from Saturn

HELENE

Names: Helene
Diameter: 16 KM
Mass: ?
Orbit: 377000 KM from Saturn

RHEA

Names: Rhea
Diameter: 765 KM
Mass: 2.49*1021 KG
Orbit: 527000 KM from Saturn

TITAN

Names: Titan
Diameter: 2575 KM
Mass: 1.35*1023 KG
Orbit: 1222000 KM from Saturn

HYPERION

Names: Hyperion
Diameter: 143 KM
Mass: 1.77*1019 KG
Orbit: 1481000 KM from Saturn

IAPETUS

Names: Iapetus
Diameter: 730 KM
Mass: 1.88*1021 KG
Orbit: 3561000 KM from Saturn

PHOEBE

Names: Phoebe
Diameter: 110 KM
Mass: 4.00*1018 KG
Orbit: 12952000 KM from Saturn

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Hashem Gamal, 2002
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