Difference between revisions of "Saturn"
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Revision as of 14:07, July 16, 2007
| Saturn | |
|---|---|
 Image of Saturn captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in October 1996 | |
| Symbol | 
|
| Name of discoverer | Known to the ancients |
| Name origin | Roman god |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Order from primary | 6 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mass | 5.6846×1026 kg |
| Diameter | 120,536 km |
| Number of moons | 60 (approx) |
| Composition | Gas |
| Albedo | 0.47 |
Saturn is the sixth planet in the Solar System. Its orbit lies between the orbits of Jupiter and Uranus. Saturn is the second largest planet in the Solar System after Jupiter. Saturn is a gas giant, and is famous for its large, complex system of rings. The rings are composed of thousands of rocks made of ices of various chemical compounds, including methane, hexane, and ammonia.
Like the other planets in our solar system, the name Saturn comes from Roman mythology. Saturn is named for the father of Jupiter, the king of the gods in the Roman pantheon.
Saturn has approximately 60 moons, including Titan, which was long believed to be the largest moon in the Solar System. Some of its other moons include Tethys, Mimas, Dione, Baleet, Phoebe, Phah, and Iapetus.
Saturn was known to ancient astronomers, as it was visible to the naked eye. In Mesopotamia, Saturn was known as Mulanna, or "The Goat."
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