SATURN is clearly the most unique of the planets – decorated with thousands of beautiful ringlets.
But how many moons does this planet have? What else should we know regarding this fascinating planet – here are all the facts.
How many moons does Saturn have?
Saturn has 82 moons.
However, only 55 of these satellites have been identified and named.
Another 29 satellites are awaiting confirmation of discovery and official naming.
These moons range in size from the giant moon Titan, which is larger than Mercury, to others as small as a stadium.
Astronomers say Titan, Earth’s largest moon, has a rare molecule in its atmosphere with a chemical structure similar to that of DNA.
That means it may have ideal conditions to support alien life.
The discovery suggests that the Aral Sea beneath Titan’s icy crust may contain more building blocks for life, potentially making it a haven for fledgling aliens.
“We’re trying to figure out if Titan is habitable,” said NASA research scientist Rosalie Lopez.
Experts say the types of molecules that may lie on Titan’s surface may be the same types of molecules that formed the building blocks of life on Earth billions of years ago.
Scientists suspect that at the time, when Earth’s air was filled with methane instead of oxygen, conditions might have been similar to those on Titan today.
Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and the second largest planet in the solar system following Jupiter.
Like Jupiter, Saturn is a massive gas planet made up of similar gases, including hydrogen, helium and methane.
Other Saturn Facts
If you’re a fan of astronomy – then you’ll love discovering things you never knew regarding the solar system.
We have many interesting facts regarding one of the solar system’s inhabitants, Saturn.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What are Saturn’s rings made of?
Saturn’s rings are thought to be made up of comets, asteroids or broken moons that break apart before reaching Earth.
They are composed of billions of small pieces of ice and rock covered with other materials, such as dust.
Each ring travels at a different speed, and the rings extend up to 175,000 miles from Earth.
The rings are named alphabetically in the order in which they were discovered.
Can you see Saturn from Earth?
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are visible most of the year.
Neptune and Uranus are invisible — of course, the eighth planet in our solar system is Earth itself.
Planets look different from stars because their brightness changes periodically over time and because they are close enough to Earth to look like a small disk, while stars look like a point of light.
According to Naked Eye Planets, Saturn and Mars are often mistaken for stars during their dimmer periods.
Stars also produce their own light, while planets do not. Planets shine by reflecting some of the sunlight they receive back into space.
The brightness of a planet depends on its distance from the sun, the size of the planet, and the location of the planet from Earth.
Planets can be seen during periods called apparitions. During this time, Mars, Mercury and Venus can be seen at dawn or dusk.
Jupiter and Saturn are visible in the dawn sky – apparitions can last from a few weeks (in the case of Mercury) to nearly two years (in the case of Mars).
How far is Saturn from Earth?
The distance from Earth to Saturn is constantly changing – as both planets travel through space.
When the two are at their closest, they are regarding 746 million miles apart—or eight times the distance between Earth and the sun.
At their farthest point, they are just over a billion miles apart—or 11 times the distance between Earth and the sun.
How old is Saturn?
Saturn formed at the same time as the rest of the solar system – from a huge rotating disk of gas and dust.
According to astronomers, this all happened regarding 4.6 billion years ago – so Saturn is regarding 4.6 billion years old.
How far is Saturn from the sun?
Like all planets, Saturn travels in an elliptical rather than a circular path – so its distance from the sun varies slightly throughout the year.
Saturn is an average of 886 million miles from the sun, with the farthest Saturn hovering at 934 million miles and the closest at 839 million miles from the sun.
This means that at such a distance, Saturn’s temperatures remain cold year-round.
What is Saturn made of?
Unlike Earth, Saturn is not a solid planet, but a massive gas planet.
It is composed of 94% hydrogen, 6% helium and small amounts of methane and ammonia.
Hydrogen and helium are the building blocks of most stars.
How many spacecraft have visited Saturn?
As of January 2022, four spacecraft have flown by or around the planet.
In 1979, Pioneer 11 became the first spacecraft to fly past Saturn – and study the magnificent planet up close.
In 1980 and 1981, Voager 1 and Voager 2 also flew close enough to study Saturn — and many of its moons.
Many years later, in 2004 – the Cassini spacecraft reached Saturn.
The spacecraft was able to send back observations of the planet, its moons and ring system — until it entered Saturn’s atmosphere in a controlled manner on September 15, 2017.
How often does Saturn orbit the sun?
Saturn orbits the sun every 29.4 Earth years – or every 10,755.7 Earth days.
The slow-moving planet has earned itself the ancient Assyrian nickname of “Lubadsagush” – meaning “oldest.”
Saturn orbits the sun at an average speed of 21,637 miles per hour or 34,821 kilometers per hour.
