SATURN
Saturn is
the second largest planet, and undoubtedly the most beautiful. It
is similar to its giant neighbour, Jupiter. Like Jupiter, Saturn
is not a solid body but a giant ball of gas. What we can see of it
from Earth is only a cloud covering, though it is much less
colourful than Jupiter’s. Saturn rotates very fast and is much
colder than Jupiter.
Saturn has
a magnificent band of rings around it. They consist of millions of
particles of ice, or ice covered rock, up to a metre in size.
These rings stretch over 200 thousand kilometres and they are only
a few kilometres thick.
Saturn has
over 17 satellites. The largest and most interesting is Titan. It
is the only moon in the Solar System, which we know has a thick
atmosphere. It contains nitrogen, methane and several other
organic substances. Titan’s surface is totally hidden by an
orange coloured haze, but it’s surface temperature is probably
too cold for living organisms. Winds bow at extremely high speeds
on Saturn. Near the equator, the Voyagers measures winds of about
800 km/h.
The appearance of Saturn’s rings change over a
period of fifteen years. Sometimes they are almost edge on and are
difficult to see. At other times we are able to see them almost
face on, when they look most spectacular.
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