What's interesting on Saturn?

Referring to Saturn, people think of the typical wide belts. But not only that, this planet has many interesting things.

Saturn is a giant planet, second in the solar system after Jupiter. For many astronomers, this planet has a strange attraction.

Water drop can float

Saturn is much larger than Earth - (Photo: Universetoday.com).

The main structure of Saturn consists of hydrogen and helium, which means you cannot stand on the surface of Saturn like standing on the surface of the Earth.

Scientists also think that Saturn may float if released in water because it is the only planet in the Solar System whose density is less than the density of water, about 30% smaller.

This is also the planet with the smallest density in the Solar System.

Very short days, extremely long years

Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun - (Photo: NASA).

Time of Saturn revolves around the axis very fast. Today unified scientists on this planet only take 10 hours 32 minutes 35 seconds.

In contrast, Saturn moves around the sun very slowly. One year on Saturn counts about 10,759 Earth days, about 29.5 years of Earth.

The most flat sphere in the Solar System

Due to the rapid rotation around the axis, Saturn becomes a flat sphere.

The planet's very fast rotation speed makes it so abrasive that it has a distinct flat sphere.

Specifically, Saturn's equator bulges and the poles flatten out. The distance between Saturn pole is 54,364km, compared to the equatorial diameter of 60,268km, which is 10% different.

Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune are also giant gas planets but they are not as flat as Saturn.

Windy

Looking from Earth, Saturn is light yellow and one of the brightest celestial bodies in the night sky. The main material on this planet is hydrogen so its density is 8 times worse than Earth.

Saturn is very windy. Wind in the equatorial Saturn region has a velocity of up to 1,800 km / h, while the wind speed record on Earth is only 400km / h.

Number of "terrible" satellites

Titan - Saturn's largest satellite and the second largest solar system - (Photo: NASA).

Saturn now has at least 62 natural satellites, of which 53 satellites orbiting Saturn have been named, mainly composed of rocks, methane, ammonia and CO ₂ , in which several satellites are formed together. the time of Saturn's birth.

and also the second largest satellite in Jupiter's Ganymede solar system. Their structure is mainly nitrogen combined with ice and ice. Scientists questioned life on Titan, but it is certain that life here is very different from Earth.

Only 4 spacecraft visited Saturn including Pioneer 11, Voyager 1 and 2, and Cassini-Huygen.

North pole, hexagonal vortex, south pole swirling

Whirlpool 6 edges at the northernmost Saturn - (Photo: NASA).

Saturn's northernmost atmospheric swirls have a special hexagonal shape, located at about 78 ° latitude first discovered by Voyager. The straight edge of the hexagonal area of ​​the north pole is approximately 13,800km longer than the Earth's diameter.

Round south pole - (Photo: NASA).

Whereas the Hubble telescopes capture the south pole showing the presence of a high-speed gas stream but not forming a strong atmospheric vortex or hexagonal structure like in the north pole.

Set by god name time

Saturn is named after the time god.

Saturn revolves around the axis, so it turns very fast. It was this rapidity that made the Greeks think of the passage of time and named the planet Cronus - the god of time. In Roman, this planet is called Saturn.

In addition, Saturn is reserved for the 7th day of the week - Saturday.

Saturn in astrology is the planet of the Capricorns and Aquarius.

The widest belt

The belt is characteristic of Saturn.

Saturn is the planet with the widest belt system in the Solar System. Other planets also have a belt, but Saturn's belt is the only belt visible from Earth.

Saturn's rings contain countless particles ranging in size from a regular grain of sand to larger than a tall building, some even longer than kilometers. They come from ice, dust or debris left from comets, asteroids or moons that dissolve in the universe.

was the first to see Saturn's belt in 1610 but he did not know what it was but deduced that the belt was . Saturn's moon. Later in 1655, Dutch astronomer Christian Huygens with better telescopes could discover these "moons" are essentially narrow and wide elliptical lines.

The perimeter of the perimeter may be equal to the distance from the Earth to the moon but only about 20m thick.