Saturn

Steven Qiang

Specifications6th Planet from the Sun1,426,666,422km from the Sun; 1,277,068,191km from EarthAverage radius:58,232 kmMass:5.68319x1026 kgVolume≈827,129,915,150,897 km3; 8.2713 x 1014 kmDensity:0.687 g/cm3 (floats on water)Length of day:10.656 hoursLength of year≈29.451 Earth yearsMoons: At least 150; 53 named.Date of Discovery: unknown Discovered by: unknown Orbital inclination: 2.49 degreesAxial tilt: 26.73˚Gravity: 10.4 m/s2; 1.065g

(distances not to scale)

Atmosphere

≈96.3% Hydrogen (H)≈3.25% Helium (He)0.4% methane (CH4)0.01% ammonia (NH2)0.01% Hydrogen deuterium (H-D; D=2H)0.0007% ethane (C2H6)...among others

Ices:ammonia (NH2)water (H2O)ammonium hydrosulfide (NH4SH)

Temperature:Ammonia cloud layer:-173˚C to -113˚CWater Ice layer:-88˚C to -3˚CLower Layers: Up to 57˚CAverage:-288˚C

FlyabilityAtmosphere slightly denser than Earth’sWeaker gravity; a bit more than Earth’sMUCH colder; -288˚CFairly good for flying, minus the temperatures, not asgood as Earth

TitanAtmosphere is thickerVery light gravity; gravity lower than the moon’sStill freezing, at 72 Kelvins (-201.15˚C; ≈the temperature of liquid nitrogen)Low gravity allows for human-powered flight, almost better than Earth

Ring System

Best known and most famous ring systemMany small particles of ice, water, and rocky materials3 main sections• A ring; Outermost ring• B ring; Largest and Brightest• Faint ring system between the A ring and the

B ringRings date to the formation of Saturn itself

MoonsAt least 150 moons, 62 discovered53 namedLargest and most famous is TitanOthers include Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, HyperionVary drastically in size, texture, age, and origin

(moon sizes are to scale)

Missions

Pioneer 11 FlybyVoyager 1 and 2 flybyCassini-Huygens: SOI; Saturn Orbit Insertion

Bibliography"Saturn Fact Sheet." Saturn Fact Sheet. NASA, n.d. Web. 23 Dec. 2013."Solar System Exploration: Planets: Saturn: Overview." Solar System Exploration: Planets: Saturn: Overview. NASA,

n.d. Web. 23 Dec. 2013."Jet Propulsion Laboratory." Cassini Solstice Mission. NASA, n.d. Web. 23 Dec. 2013."Cassini Mission." NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 23 Dec. 2013."Jet Propulsion Laboratory." Cassini Solstice Mission: Saturn's Moons. NASA, n.d. Web. 23 Dec. 2013.Munroe, Randall P. "Interplanetary Cessna." Interplanetary Cessna. Xkcd, n.d. Web. 23 Dec. 2013.