The Astrophysics Spectator
The Astrophysics Spectator
Saturn is the second largest planet in the Solar System. It is one of the two giant gaseous planets within the solar system, with a composition similar to the Sun's. The most prominent feature of Saturn is its ice rings. It also has numerous moons, including the giant moon Titan.
In the table below the radius of the planet is defined as the point in the atmosphere where the pressure equals 1 bar (the pressure at sea level on Earth). Two methods are used to derive the rotation of Saturn: the rotation period of Jupiter's magnetic field, and the rotation implied by the flattening of Jupiter at the poles. The observed values in this table are taken from Yoder (1995).[1] Go to table of Saturn's characteristics.
3.7931(187100)1022 cm3 s?2 | |
5.6831029 g | |
5.823(26)109 cm | |
6.026(84)109 cm | |
0.097(9618) | |
1119 cm s?2 | |
3.609106 cm s?1 | |
0.687 g cm?3 | |
10h 39m 22.4s | |
38362.4 s | |
10h 36m | |
3819672 s | |
26 44? | |
10746.940 d | |
9.53707032 AU | |
0.05415060 | |
1.504 104 ergs cm?2 s?1 |
Saturn stands out for its systems of rings and moons. While other planets have rings, none rival Saturn in the prominence and complexity of its ring structure. The table below lists the rings and moons of Saturn by their distance from Saturn. The rings are listed by their inner radius. All moons inside the inner radius of the E Ring are listed (known before the arrival of the Cassini spacecraft); for moons outside of the E Ring, only those with radii greater than 100 km are given.
The distance column gives the distance of the moons and the inner edges of the disks from the center of Saturn. The Outer Distance columns give the distance of the outer edges of the rings. Both columns are given in units of 108cm and in units of Saturn's equatorial radius. The last two columns give the mass and radius of the moons. The radius is given in kilometers. The distances and sizes in this table are from the Cassini-Huygens Saturn Arrival Press Kit,[2] and the masses are from Norton's 2000.0 Star Atlas and Reference Handbook.[3]
Object |
Distance |
Outer Distance |
Mass |
Radius |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
108cm |
Rs |
108cm |
Rs |
1022g |
km |
|
D Ring |
67.0 |
1.11 |
74.5 |
1.24 |
||
C Ring |
74.5 |
1.24 |
92.0 |
1.53 |
||
B Ring |
92.0 |
1.53 |
117.6 |
1.95 |
||
Cassini Division |
117.6 |
1.95 |
122.2 |
2.03 |
||
A Ring |
122.2 |
2.03 |
136.8 |
2.27 |
||
Pan |
133.6 |
2.22 |
10 | |||
Atlas |
137.6 |
2.28 |
16 | |||
Prometheus |
139.4 |
2.31 |
50 | |||
F Ring |
140.2 |
2.33 |
140.2 |
2.33 |
||
Pandorea |
141.7 |
2.35 |
42 | |||
Epimetheus |
151.4 |
2.51 |
60 | |||
Janus |
151.5 |
2.51 |
89 | |||
G Ring |
170.2 |
2.82 |
170.6 |
2.83 |
||
E Ring |
181.0 |
3.00 |
483.0 |
8.02 |
||
Mimas |
185.5 |
3.08 |
4.5 |
196 | ||
Enceladus |
238.0 |
3.95 |
7.4 |
250 | ||
Tethys |
294.7 |
4.89 |
73.8 |
530 | ||
Dione |
377.4 |
6.26 |
105.2 |
560 | ||
Rhea |
527.0 |
8.75 |
247.1 |
764 | ||
Titan |
1,221.9 |
20.28 |
13,530.0 |
2,575 | ||
Hyperion |
1,481.1 |
24.58 |
1.7 |
142 | ||
Iapetus |
3,561.3 |
59.10 |
189.4 |
716 | ||
Phoebe |
12,952.0 |
214.94 |
110 | |||
[1] Yoder, Charles F. ?Astrometric and Geodetic Properties of Earth and the Solar System.? In Global Earth Physics: A Handbook of Physical Constants edited by T.J. Ahrens, 1?31. AGU Reference Shelf, No. 1. Washington: American Geophysical Union, 1995.
[2] Cassini-Huygens Saturn Arrival: Press Kit. Washington, D.C.: NASA, June 2004.
[3] Norton, Arthur P. Nortons's 2000.0: Star Atlas and Reference Handbook. 18th ed. Edited by Ian Ridpath. Essex, England: Longman Scientific and Technical, 1989.
