My brother is into astrology, so I was thinking about the planets. Then I realized I wanted to know more about certain planets, so I should research the subject. The planet I felt interested me the most was Saturn. It should have more to it than what people call it, a gas giant with rings and maybe moons? I decided to research about Saturn and this is what I found.
Saturn is a gas giant. This means it has clouds made up of gas, and a solid core. Saturn was formed with the solar system, about 4.5 billion years ago. Then, around 500 million years later, the young planet ended up where it currently is in the solar system, the 6th planet from the sun. The 2 main components the sun has are hydrogen and helium, and ironically, both Saturn and its next door neighbor Jupiter are also mostly made up of these 2 elements. Saturn has a core composed of metals such as iron and nickel enveloped in rocky compounds and other elements, held in place by intense pressure and heat. It is like Jupiter’s core, but like Saturn’s smaller size in total, the core is also smaller than Jupiter’s. Saturn is the only planet in our solar system that has an average density less than water!
Saturn’s rings are thought to be comets, asteroids, or small moons that were ripped apart before they could reach the planet. Billions of chunks of ice and rock that are coated with material such as dust make up the rings. Most chunks can be as small as a grain of dust or as big as a house! A couple chunks are as big as a mountain! The rings are named A,B,C,D,E,F, and G, with a faint ring further out named the Phoebe ring. The order from the closest to Saturn to the farthest is the D ring, C ring, and B ring. Then there is a gap called the Cassini Division, that separates the B ring with the farther A ring, the first of Saturn’s rings to be discovered. Then come the faint F ring, G ring, and E ring. Last but not least, there is the outermost faint Phoebe ring.
Saturn has the most moons of any planet in our solar system. With 53 moons confirmed and 29 awaiting confirmation, Saturn is quite the master of moons. One interesting moon Saturn has is called Enceladus. It is one of many moons or planets that scientists think may have ingredients needed for life, like water. This planet literally sprays its ocean into space, where scientists can take samples. They believe there may be hydrothermal vents under Enceladus. This moon also has the most reflectable surface in the solar system. Another moon orbiting around Saturn is called Titan. It is the second largest moon in the solar system and exceeds the mass of Mercury, making it larger. Titan is an icy planet, and may have a liquid ocean underneath. This Earth-like planet also has an atmosphere made up mostly of nitrogen, like Earth's. Titan’s air is also dense enough that you wouldn’t need to walk around in a space suit, though you would need to protect yourself from the cold and have an oxygen mask on.
Saturn is a strange, but fascinating place. It has rings of rock and ice, a composition like the sun’s, and the most moons in our solar system. Saturn is a place full of diversity, from its rocky core, to its many moons, and finally its vast rings.
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