What is the size and shape of Saturn?

Saturn’s diameter, radius and circumference All of the gas giants in the solar system bear the same shape of an oblate spheroid, but on Saturn the condition is the most pronounced, with the polar radius (33,780 miles, or 54,364 km) only about 90 percent that of the equatorial radius (37,449 miles, or 60,268 km).

What is Saturn’s size?

58,232 km
Saturn/Radius

What is the shape of the Saturn?

Saturn is a gas giant composed predominantly of hydrogen and helium. It lacks a definite surface, though it may have a solid core. Saturn’s rotation causes it to have the shape of an oblate spheroid; that is, it is flattened at the poles and bulges at its equator.

How does Saturn keep its shape?

Saturn took shape when the rest of the solar system formed about 4.5 billion years ago when gravity pulled swirling gas and dust in to become this gas giant. About 4 billion years ago, Saturn settled into its current position in the outer solar system, where it is the sixth planet from the Sun.

What is the size of Saturn in diameter?

116,460 km
Saturn/Diameter

What color is Saturn’s rings?

Saturn’s rings are largely made of ice particles, with some dust mixed in. In this false-color image, purple bands contain particles more than 5 cm across. Green regions have particles under 5 cm, and blues contain some small, pea-like particles. Giant, boulder-size chunks of ice can be found throughout the rings.

What is the diameter of Saturn without its rings?

Again, the equatorial diameter of Saturn is 120,536 km and its polar diameter is 108,728 km. It is very important to understand why the difference in these diameters is so large, that is why so much detail is given on the rotational speed of the planet.

How big is Saturn compared to other planets?

The mass of the ringed planet is 5.68 x 10 26 kilograms, 95 times the mass of Earth. Although the planet is only a third the mass of Jupiter, it is about 80 percent as large, contributing to its low density. Although several other planets boast rings, Saturn’s are the largest and most visually stunning.

How big is the ring around Saturn in miles?

Ring around the planet. Although several other planets boast rings, Saturn’s are the largest and most visually stunning. Balanced around the equator, the rings start about 4,120 miles (6,630 km) out from the planet and extend to a distance of 262,670 miles (422,730 km), or eight times the radius of the planet.

Why does Saturn have a more oblate shape than Jupiter?

Its oblate shape is apparent even in a small telescope. Even though Saturn rotates slightly slower than Jupiter, it is more oblate because its rotational acceleration cancels a larger fraction of the planet’s gravity at the equator.

How big is Saturn from the night sky?

Saturn’s beautiful rings, visible even with an inexpensive telescope, make it a favorite in the night sky. Saturn and three moons, Tethys, Dione and Rhea, seen by a Voyager spacecraft on August 4, 1982, from a distance of 13 million miles. The mean radius of the body of Saturn is 36,184 miles (58,232 kilometers).