Diane M. Huot
Saturn is the Sun's sixth planet. It is the second largest planet, large enough for 800 Earths to fit inside. Saturn has a diameter of 75,000 miles (120,660 km) and is located 9.6 Astronomical Units from the Sun. All gas giants have low densities compared with the terrestrial planets, and Saturn's is the lowest of all. The planet's density is actually less than that of water, and therefore it would float, if one were able to find a tub big enough to accommodate it.
Saturn is very much like the Sun and Jupiter. It is 88 percent hydrogen and 11 percent helium, and a small amount of methane, ethane, and ammonia. Saturn, too, spins on its axis very quickly. It takes Saturn 10 hours and 40 minutes to make one complete rotation. A year on Saturn is much longer. It takes Saturn approximately 29-1/2 years to make one complete revolution of the Sun.
Saturn's "rings" are actually bands of rock, dust, and ice trapped in orbit around the planet. Galileo first spied Saturn's rings in 1610 through one of his early telescopes. Many astronomers think that the ring pieces are matter that was left over after Saturn was formed.
At last count Saturn has 46 moons. The largest one is Titan, the second largest moon in the Solar System after Jupiter's Ganymede. Titan is the only moon known to have an atmosphere and clouds.