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The discovery of Saturn’s 20 new moons made it the planet with the highest number of moons, which is 82.
Saturn – Key facts
- Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun, with the largest planetary rings in the Solar System.
- It is the second-largest planet after Jupiter.
- It has a diameter of 120.536 km or 74.897 mi, almost 9.5 times bigger than the diameter of Earth and a surface area about 83 times greater.
- The rings of Saturn are the most extensive of any other planet. This rings can’t be seen with the unaided eye. Generally, only 3 rings can be seen by regular telescopes, powerful telescopes can view 8 rings and when the spacecraft Cassini orbited Saturn, it counted well above 30 rings. It is important to understand that these rings are actually countless since they are comprised of millions of generally small rocks creating illusions of ring systems.
- Saturn has the lowest density of all the planets.
- Though it doesn’t have a solid surface, being enveloped in swirling gases and liquids deeper down, it is believed that Saturn has a core much smaller than Jupiter, almost twice the size of Earth – comprised mostly of metals like iron and nickel surrounded by rocky material, and other compounds, solidified by the intense pressure and heat.
- The largest moon of Saturn is named Titan. It is the second-largest moon in the Solar System after the Ganymede satellite of Jupiter. Titan is even larger than Mercury, a planet.
- Though the potential for life is zero for Saturn, many of its moons such as Titan or Enceladus, have internal oceans that could possibly hold life.
- Saturn – also nicknamed the “Ringed Planet”
