![]() ![]() It also means that, over time, Saturn’s rings will be seen from Earth at different angles. Saturn’s axis of rotation is tipped 26.7 degrees which means that Saturn will also experience seasons as it circles the Sun. This is the reason we have seasons as we orbit the Sun. Earth’s axis is tilted 23.6 degrees to the solar plane. Like Earth, Saturn’s axis of rotation is tilted. The atmospheric pressure at the core would be so high that it would crush any probe that we might send there today. We have not yet been able to probe deep into Saturn’s atmosphere to reach its core. We believe there is a rocky or metallic core to Saturn, but we don’t know for sure. Some scientists think that the gas giants may be failed stars. ![]() Jupiter and Saturn are called gas giants since they are made primarily of Hydrogen and Helium gas. Naturally, when Saturn is on the other side of the Sun we can’t see it. When Saturn is the farthest from Earth, when it is on the other side of the Sun, we are over a billion miles apart. So the image you see of Saturn is of Saturn 80 minutes ago. It takes almost 80 minutes for that reflected light to travel from Saturn to the Earth. The light we see from Saturn comes from the Sun and the planet and rings reflect it back toward Earth. When we are closest we are about 750 million miles apart. From Earth, Saturn is the third planet out, after Mars and Jupiter. And Saturn’s year, the time it takes Saturn to orbit the Sun is approximately 29 Earth years. Saturn’s day is about 10.7 hours, a little less than half of our day. Saturn orbits the Sun at an average distance of about 890 million miles. It is the second-largest planet in the solar system, after Jupiter, having a diameter approximately 9 times the diameter of the Earth. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturnus, the god of agriculture and harvest. When showing the sky to friends, if Saturn is in the sky, start with Saturn. The first time you see Saturn in the eyepiece and see those rings you should have a WOW moment. I call Saturn the rock star of the solar system. Of all the planets, Saturn is the most spectacular. ![]()
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