Context: Recently, astronomers have located 128 new moons orbiting Saturn using the Canada France Hawaii telescope. Saturn now officially has 274 confirmed moons, the highest for any planet in the Solar System. Saturn is followed by Jupiter with 95 known moons.
Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about Saturn; Saturn’s Moons.
Key facts about Saturn
- Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun. It is the second-largest planet in our Solar System, after Jupiter.
- Saturn is a gas giant dominated by hydrogen and helium. Its atmosphere contains hydrogen, helium, methane, ammonia, and other gases, giving it a yellowish-brown appearance. The planet is thought to have a rocky core.
- Saturn's average density is 0.69 g/cm³, making it the only planet less dense than water by about 30%. Its low density is due to its vast gaseous atmosphere.
- Saturn's rapid rotation gives it an oblate shape. It is flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator. Saturn's rings are made of ice, dust, and rock.
- Saturn orbits the Sun at an average distance of 9.59 astronomical units (AU), or roughly 1,434 million kilometers. The orbital period is about 29.45 Earth years.
- Saturn is known for its large and intense storm systems, such as the Great White Spot. This massive storm occurs roughly once every Saturnian year (about 29 Earth years). These storms can last for months and cover vast areas.
Saturn’s Important Moons
Saturn has 274 moons recognised by the International Astronomical Union.
- Titan:
- Titan is Saturn's largest moon and is one of the most Earth-like bodies in the Solar System. Titan is larger (though less massive) than Mercury.
- It is the only moon in the Solar System with a dense atmosphere.
- Nitrogen and methane extend around the moon 10 times as far into space as Earth's atmosphere, sometimes falling to Titan's surface as methane rain.
- It has liquid hydrocarbon lakes in the polar region. Cassini-Huygens spacecraft landed on Titan in 2005.
- Enceladus:
- Enceladus is an icy Saturnian moon that has a liquid ocean of water beneath its crust, making it one of the most promising places to look for signs of life beyond Earth.
- It has the whitest, most reflective surface in the solar system.
- The strange moon spews its ocean out into space. In 2005, NASA's Cassini spacecraft found icy water particles gushing from the surface at approximately 400 meters per second.
- Nanograins of silica have been found in Saturn's E-ring, which suggests the presence of hydrothermal vents within Enceladus' ocean.
Also Read: Age of Saturn’s Rings