Saturn

Properties:​

Mass: 5.6834×10²⁶ kg

Radius: 58,232 km

Semi-major axis: 1,433.53 million km(9.58 AU)

Orbital Period: 29.46 years

Rotational Period: 10 hr 32 min 36 sec

Surface Gravity: 10.44 m/(s²)

Etymology: Saturn(Roman God of wealth and agriculture)

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Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and is the second gas giant in our Solar System. Saturn is theorized to have a solid core made up of iron-nickel alloy with a gaseous outer layer made up of primarily molecular hydrogen(H2). The upper clouds are made up of ammonia crystals, giving the planet its distinctive look.

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Of course, Saturn is widely known for its rings. The rings surrounding Saturn are composed of many, many small particles. The particles are mainly water-ice with a tinge of rocky material, too.

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There is no definitive explanation as to how Saturn's rings formed but there are two main theories. The first theory is that Saturn's rings were once a moon that got too close to Saturn in its orbit. Because of how close it got, tidal forces ripped it apart and the Moon disintegrated into the particles that now compose Saturn's rings. The second theory suggests that the rings of Saturn are leftover material from the nebula from which Saturn itself formed.

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In terms of estimating the age of the rings, theoretical models predict that the rings are as old as Saturn itself. However, analysis by the Cassini spacecraft suggested that the rings of Saturn are relatively young compared to the planet. This can be inferred from factors like the brightness of the rings. The rings would be very, very bright if they formed when Saturn formed because the rings deplete in mass and brightness as time elapses.