Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun, and it is the second largest planet in the Solar System. The planet's equator is surrounded by a large system of rings in space. Although other planets in the solar system feature similar rings, Saturn's are the largest and most visible.
In March 2009, a tiny new moon, orbiting inside one of Saturn's outer rings, was discovered by the international spacecraft Cassini. The moon measures about a third of one mile wide.NPR: Surprise! Saturn Has Small Moon Hidden in Ring (March 3, 2009) The Cassini craft will take a closer look at the newly discovered satellite in early 2010.CNN.com: Tiny moon discovered orbiting Saturn
Moon Madness
Out of Saturn's many moons, Titan is the largest. Titan is larger than both Mercury and Pluto, and is one of the few natural satellites in the solar system known to have its own atmosphere.NASA: The Story of Saturn
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
Named after the Roman god of agriculture
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Radius
60,268 kilometers (9.4 times Earth's radius)
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Circumference
378,675 kilometers
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Surface area
43.5 billion square kilometers
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Mass
5.69x1026 kilograms
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Average distance from the Sun
1.4 billion kilometers
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Average distance from Earth
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Atmospheric Composition
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Hydrogen
96.3%
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Helium
3.25%
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Fact:
- Trace amounts of Methane, Ammonia, Hydrogen Deuteride, EthaneNASA: Saturn Fact Sheet
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Fact:
Can be seen from Earth without a telescope
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Fact:
Saturn has over 60 known satellites (moons)
