Saturn: The Sixth Planet - Features, History, Photography
The Solar System consists of 8 planets that orbit around a yellow dwarf star called the Sun. Sixth in line from the center is the second-largest planet, Saturn. This planet is most commonly known for its famous visible and dusty ring, but this gas giant holds more than what meets the eye.
Take a journey past the Asteroid Belt and discover more about Saturn's origins and moons. Learn what lies beyond its surface (if it has one!), facts and stats, how to take a photo of it, and observation tips with a telescope.
The Planet Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet in order from the sun, and is the second celestial body you would encounter after passing the Asteroid Belt. The planets lying beyond this area of the Solar System are called the Outer Planets and consist of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Due to its composition, Saturn is categorized as a gas giant and takes this title along with Jupiter.
Who was Saturn Named after?
Saturn has been observed for a long time by our ancestors, but the first observer who actively recorded details about the planet was Galileo Galilei. An avid astronomer, Galilei first viewed the planet Saturn in 1610. At the time, it was customary for early observers to name celestial objects and constellations after the mythological stories and glory of their beliefs - the gods. Most of the early astronomers in written history came from the longstanding and vibrant civilizations of Italy and Greece. Even after all this time, their rich stories remain rooted within astronomy in name and lore.
In Roman mythology, Saturnus, or Saturn, was the name of the god of agriculture. This figure is typically depicted with a scythe or sickle. To Romans, Saturn was the equivalent of the Greek god, Cronus, the god of the harvest.
In Greek mythology, Cronus is also known as the god of time - a stark difference from its Roman counterpart. Why is the name so different? One explanation for the name discrepancy of the god could be linked to "harvest time" in Greece which in the Greek language is called cronion.
Despite the differing names, they symbolize the same figure and the stories behind this god make for a fun way to remember celestial bodies.
Size and Mass
At a radius of 36,183 miles (58,232 kilometers), the planet Saturn is 9 times wider than Earth. NASA exemplified it best by comparing its massive size to our planet noting, "If Earth were the size of a nickel, Saturn would be about as big as a volleyball."
It comes as no surprise that the mass of Saturn is larger than our humble planet. How much mass does it have? If you take 1 Earth as a unit of measurement, it would take 95 Earths to equate to Saturn's mass. And, if you were curious about Saturn's volume it would take about 763 Earths to fill up the same space of the planet. With a diameter of 72,400 miles or 116,500 kilometers, Saturn is 10 times the diameter of Earth - making it the second largest planet in the Solar System.
Distance from the Sun
Saturn lies 886 million miles (1.4 billion kilometers) away from the sun. In astronomical units (AU), it is 9.5 AU from the center of our star system. This is almost double the AU of Jupiter at 5.2 AU making quite the distance even between the two gas giants. A considerable difference that impacts factors like temperature and speed as you will learn in the next section.
It takes about 8 minutes for sunlight to reach the surface of Earth, but 80 minutes to reach the sixth planet! That's nearly double that of Jupiter and a baffling 10 times longer than Earth.
Learn about the other Planets in Order from the Sun to see more statistics.
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Time, Rotation, and Orbit
As earthlings, it's easier to understand the experience on other planets with units we know. Imagine you're on a rocket headed to Saturn - what would that experience be like for us?
Time
One day on Saturn - a Saturnian day - is quite fast. In Earth hours, one day on Saturn is equal to 10.7 Earth hours. This day is the second shortest in all of the Solar System.
Rotation
The sixth planet fully rotates on its axis about every 10.7 hours. In one Earth day, Saturn would complete approximately 2.25 rotations. Talk about a dizzying experience.
Similar to Jupiter, it is hard to determine what the true surface speed of this planet is because it is a gas giant. This type of planet is mainly composed of gasses that cloud the atmosphere, making it hard to see the surface - if there even is one. In a scenario where a surface exists, if one stood at the equator, the speed on Saturn is about 6.13 mi/s or 35,500 km/h.
Orbit
The orbital period on the planet Saturn is equivalent to 29.4 Earth years. For us on Earth, a year is about 365 days but on Saturn, it's 10,756 days to make one full rotation around the Sun.
If you were a baby born on Saturn, your first birthday (a full orbit) equates to being 29 and a half years old on Earth!
Like most of the planets, Saturn's orbit is not a perfect circle, it is elliptical and shaped like an oval. This elliptical orbit paired with Saturn's incline of 2.48 degrees relative to Earth's orbital plane creates an interesting effect on how we view the planet depending on the tilt and orbit.
The example you see is a sped-up version of what Saturn's orbit looks like to us on Earth. When the tilt is facing toward Earth you can distinguish the ring but when it begins to turn away, it is seen edge-on. As of the time this article was posted, we are beginning to see Saturn edge-on and it will continue until it peaks in March 2025. We won't see the ring again until early 2030. A magnificent phenomenon that reminds us of our place in the Solar System.
Saturn has a perihelion and aphelion distances from the Sun. The closest approach (perihelion) is about 9.1 AU and the furthest point (aphelion) of Saturn is about 9.9 AU.
Can You See Saturn with a Telescope?
Saturn is one of the easiest planets to spot with a telescope, and is by far the most impressive one! Despite not being able to see any texture or features on the planet itself (besides horizontal bands), what makes Saturn such a beautiful object to stare at is its rings! Through an eyepiece, the rings look absolutely magnificent, assuming they are not at an "edge-on" angle on the day you are observing. When the rings of Saturn are at a nice angle, you will even be able to see the Cassini division, a large gap between rings.
How to Observe with a Telescope
If you are searching for a telescope to look at Saturn but aren't sure which one to get, we have a few to recommend that'll last a lifetime! Don't fall into the traps sold by big box stores.
When it comes to the best telescope to view Saturn and other planets, we recommend an 8", 10", or 12" Dobsonian. These telescopes are built for visual astronomy and excel at viewing planets (and the moon!).
For a complete beginner, the 8" Dobsonian (like the one pictured here) is the best choice as it is slightly smaller and lighter than the other two. It makes viewing planets less frustrating to set up and move around too.
Dobsonian telescopes are best used for visual observations, but with the right adapter and skills, they can also be great for taking pictures
Can you take a Picture of Saturn from Earth?
Saturn's rings look great both visually and when photographed.
You can easily take a picture of Saturn from anywhere, and with any equipment. Yes, this means you can take a picture with or without a telescope, with a fancy camera or with your phone, and from both your light-polluted backyard and in the middle of nowhere.
The image you see here was taken with an inexpensive older DSLR camera and a basic telephoto lens at 300mm of focal length. Without a telescope, no details whatsoever can be seen, but the rings do appear!
If you make the decision to purchase a telescope, you can improve the quality of your images and get a much more impressive result over time. The picture below shows Saturn taken with a camera attached to a telescope. There are two ways you can take pictures of planets through a telescope:
By taking individual pictures and keeping the best one (usually the easiest option and done using a DSLR or mirrorless camera)
By recording a video and stacking the best frames into one image (this achieves the best results but is an advanced technique, often done with planetary-dedicated cameras)
If you purchased a telescope like the one listed above and own a DSLR or mirrorless camera, you can connect it to your telescope start shooting! Even without practice, you should be able to get a beautiful picture of the planet if you are properly in focus.
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Saturnian History
Now that you're familiar with the Saturnian experience, you are ready to learn about the planet's origin!
Since most of our star system's planets were formed at about the same time, it might be a familiar story if you've already read about Saturn.
Discover how the planet Saturn was formed, its age, composition, and more.
Formation and Age
About 4.5 billion years ago, Saturn began to form after the Sun expelled matter into the Solar System. The planets started to form with Jupiter taking much of the mass and Saturn settled into its place sixth from the Sun.
Like the other gas giant, the sixth planet formed with the materials provided by the Sun. It pulled in metals and began to take shape, then gravity pressurized the metals into a hot and dense core. It is theorized to have a rocky core, unlike Jupiter. The core continued to pull gasses in and then created a center surrounded by a molten, liquid layer as well as an atmosphere.
Can Saturn Support Life?
No, Saturn cannot support life. Life, as we understand it, is not able to thrive on the planet.
Some of its moons though, lie Enceladus, could technically support life although nothing has been found yet.
Composition and Structure
What is Saturn Made of?
Saturn's formation was a result of the Sun's explosive beginning, so it is made of the same matter - hydrogen and helium. Its atmosphere is composed of mainly hydrogen (96.3%) and helium (3.25%). It's called a gas giant for a reason! The atmosphere also contains small traces such as methane, ammonia, and ice water.
With that in mind, if one were to take a trip to Saturn's center - what would be found?
The Planet Saturn's Structure
On a make-believe journey to the center of Saturn, things would be quite different than on Earth.
For example, if one traveled from space to Earth's core, the journey would include passing through an atmosphere, a touchdown on a solid surface (land) or a liquid (water), passing the crust and mantle, to find an outer core of hot liquid magma, until one reaches the incredibly hot inner core of solid, metal material.
The journey to Saturn's core would look like this: You would pass through an upper atmosphere of freezing, icy winds (with speeds of 1,600 feet per second) then pass through an even colder inner atmosphere and onto a sea of mixed substances - mostly hydrogen. The pressure feels like diving into deep waters, and the pressure is so intense it turns the gas into a liquid. The transition from gas to an aqueous solution is a unique experience. It also means that Saturn has no true surface.
If one were to believe that a solid core existed, one would reach it after passing through the liquid layer. And, of course, the pressure at the core would be intensely hot and crushing.
Saturn's Core
There are sources online that theorize Saturn has a core, but the belief from NASA is that the sixth planet does not have a rocky core. It's very likely that like Jupiter, Saturn once had a solid core which then turned into a mass of molten material over time that maintained the same gravitational force. Perhaps, as a result, it might have become so pressurized that the core changed form - but again, this is just conjecture. For now, its true core remains a mystery to all.
What is the Surface of Saturn Like?
It is not possible to know exactly what the surface of Saturn looks like.
Saturn also has auroras on each pole, which can only be seen from space as they emit ultraviolet light which does not reach us on Earth.
This photograph was taken in October 1997, and shows the auroras on the North and South poles. This was taken with the Hubble Space Telescope's Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) which can capture images in ultraviolet light.
These auroras are believed to rise more than a thousand miles above the highest clouds of the planet, and are produced from the sun's energetic winds.
What is the Atmosphere Like?
Saturn, being a gas giant planet, is full of gas! Its atmosphere is mostly made up of molecular hydrogen (about 75%) and helium (about 25%). Some traces of other elements, like methane and water ice, have also been found.
In 3 areas of Saturn's troposphere are "cloud decks", which are the:
Cloud deck of ammonia clouds - with temperatures of -210°C
Cloud deck of ammonia hydrosulfide clouds - with temperatures of -70°C
Cloud deck of water clouds (H2O) - with temperatures of 0°C
Saturn's average surface temperature is believed to be -288.4°C, with winds of 500 miles per hour.
Axis and Weather
Saturn's axis of rotation is 26.73 degrees, which is very similar to Earth's 23.26 degrees. This means that Saturn experiences seasons, just like Earth!
Because of how fast the planet rotates, Saturn's winds are the second fastest in the Solar System after Neptune's. A Hurricane, the first on any planet other than Earth, was spotted by the Cassini spacecraft in 2006.
What does Saturn Look Like?
Saturn is by far the most identifiable planet in the Solar System! Its most notable feature is, of course, the Rings!
The Rings of Saturn
One of the most striking features of Saturn is its magnificent rings. Easily seen from Earth with a telescope, these rings encircle the planet in a broad, flat disc, making Saturn one of the most visually captivating planets in our solar system.
The rings are composed of countless small particles, ranging from tiny dust grains to chunks as large as mountains, all orbiting Saturn in unison. These particles are made mostly of water ice, with a mixture of rock and dust. The rings are divided into seven main groups named alphabetically in the order they were discovered: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G rings, with the A and B rings being the most prominent. The rings' structure is complex and includes several gaps and divisions, the most famous of which is the Cassini Division, a dark gap that separates the two most prominent rings, originally caused by gravitational interactions with Saturn's moon Mimas.
Saturn's rings are incredibly thin relative to their width, measuring only about 10 meters thick but spanning up to 282,000 kilometers from the planet. Despite their immense size, the rings are quite delicate and are constantly being shaped and influenced by Saturn's moons and its gravity.
Scientists believe the rings could be remnants of a moon or comet that was torn apart by Saturn's gravitational forces, or they may have formed from the material that created Saturn itself.
James Webb Space Telescope Image of Saturn
On June 25, 2023, the JWST took an impressive picture of Saturn which can be seen annotated below. In it, you can see three of the moons, the rings, and the Cassini division! This image was taken with the James Webb Space Telescope's NIRCam instrument using the F323N filter.
Missions to Saturn
Since the 1970s, spacecraft and probes have been sent to study Saturn. Several future missions are also planned to learn even more about the planet. Below are the names of the missions lead by NASA and other space agencies, as well as a short description and the years they launched.
Cassini (1997)
This mission was a joint effort from NASA and the ESA (European Space Agency) to send an explorer to Saturn.
The spacecraft completed 74 orbits of the planet, and also used its probe to get close to some of the moons like Titan and Enceladus where it found strong evidence of liquid water! The probe discovered 4 new moons, and ended its mission by doing an atmospheric entry into the planet.
Voyager 1 & Voyager 2 (1977)
The Voyager Mission was a pair of spacecraft that were sent to discover more about the Outer Planets. While not the first to make the adventure to the Outer Planets, Voyager 1 is the most distant man-made object sent into space.
Voyager 1 flew by Saturn in November of 1980, and Voyager 2 followed in August 1981.
Both spacecraft have a message - a gold disk "time capsule" about the planet Earth.
Pioneer 11 (1973)
The Pioneer 11 mission was the first to fly by Saturn, arriving near the planet in September of 1979. The spacecraft carried a message in case it was found by extraterrestrial livings.
It got the first upclose pictures of the rings of Saturn, as it got as close as 12,000 miles (20,000 km) from the top layer of clouds. It also flew by Jupiter!
Find out more details about each of these missions by visiting NASA's webpage of Saturn Missions.
Saturn's Moons
The ringed planet has many moons orbiting around it, with the current count being 146 as of 2024. Below we will cover a few of the most notable moons of Saturn.
Titan
Atmosphere: Nitrogen and Methane
Circumference: 10,052 mi (16,177 km)
Size Comparison: Half the size of Earth
Name Origin: Titans of the Greek Mythology Fun Fact: Covered in huge lakes of liquid methane and ethane
Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and the second largest in our entire solar system. Titan is so large that it is considered a moon-planet. It has a larger diameter than Mercury! Titan appears mostly yellow, and is made up of mostly rock and ice. It is the only moon to have an atmosphere denser than Earth.
Enceladus
Atmosphere: Water vapor exosphere
Circumference: 984 (1,584 km)
Size Comparison: 395 times smaller than Earth
Name Origin: Giant of Greek Mythology Fun Fact: Has the whitest, most reflective surface in the Solar System
Enceladus is a beautiful textured moon that leaves a trail of ice as it orbits Saturn, creating a ring on its own. It is much smaller than Titan, being about the same size as the state of Arizona. Enceladus is a very cold moon, with many craters despite its overall smooth surface.
Mimas
Atmosphere: None
Circumference: 773.8 mi (1,245 km)
Size Comparison: 33,220 times smaller than Earth
Name Origin: Giant in Greek Mythology Fun Fact: The largest crater stretches one third across the face of the moon, making Mimas look like the Death Star from Star Wars.
Mimas is the innermost moon of Saturn, and is filled with craters! Like our moon, Mimas is tidally locked so keeps the same surface to the planet as it orbits around it. The moon's orbit is responsible for the main gap in Saturn's rings, called the "Cassini Gap".
Final Thoughts and Summary of the Planet Saturn
The sixth planet is by far the most iconic and popular one for both observers and astrophotographers, mostly thanks to its rings! Saturn has the highest number of moons, with a whooping 146 confirmed as of 2024.
Type: Gas Giant
Name Origin: Roman God of Agriculture and Wealth
Discovered in: Ancient Times
Radius: 58,232 km
Temperatures: -178°C
Distance from Sun: 1.429 billion km
Day: 10.7 Earth hours
Orbit: 10,759 Earth days
Natural Satellites (moons): 146
Light speed from Sun: 79.33 min
If you observed this planet, you should try your hand at photographing it too! We'll have an article coming soon to teach you how to photograph Saturn in-depth.
Clear Skies,
Galactic Hunter
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