Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It only has one-eighth the average density of Earth; however, with its larger volume, Saturn is over 95 times more massive. Saturn is about 75 thousand miles (120,000 km) in diameter and is almost ten times the diameter of Earth. About 764 Earths could fit inside Saturn. If you had a ball that was the size of a dime, Saturn would be a little bigger than a soccer ball. Hydrogen makes up nearly all of the atmosphere, with lesser amounts of helium and much lesser quantities of methane and ammonia. Saturn also has clouds made of ammonia ice crystals, but the clouds tops are considerably colder than Jupiter's approaching -400 degrees F. July 1610: Galileo Galilei spots Saturn's rings through a telescope, but mistakes them for a "triple planet." On the surface, Saturn's average temperature varies from about -185 degrees Celsius (-300 degrees Fahrenheit) to -122 C (-188 F). The temperature variation is due to the planet's internal processes, not the sun. As you dive through the clouds, temperatures increase to Earth-like conditions. Saturn is named after the Roman god of harvest and time, the equivalent of the Greek god of time, Cronos. Out of the five visible planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter), Saturn is the most distant from Earth, at a distance of 10.6 AU and an average of 9.6 AU away from the Sun. Adorned with thousands of beautiful ringlets, Saturn is unique among the planets. It is not the only planet to have rings made of chunks of ice and rock but none are as spectacular or as complicated as Saturn's. Like fellow gas giant Jupiter, Saturn is a massive ball made mostly of hydrogen and helium. The second largest planet in the solar system, Saturn is a "gas giant" composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. But it's best known for the bright, beautiful rings that circle its equator. The rings are made up of countless particles of ice and rock that each orbit Saturn independently. Saturn is considerably colder than Jupiter being further from the Sun, with an average temperature of about -285 degrees F. Wind speeds on Saturn are extremely high, having been measured at slightly more than 1,000 mph, considerably higher than Jupiter. Four robotic spacecraft have visited Saturn. NASA's Pioneer 11 provided the first close look in September 1979. NASA's twin Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft followed up with flybys nine months apart in 1980 and 1981. The outer part of Saturn is made of gas and the very top layers have about the same pressure as the air does on Earth. So, if you tried to walk on this part of Saturn, you would sink through its atmosphere. Saturn's atmosphere is very thick and its pressure increases the deeper you go. About 10 million tons of diamond rain down on Saturn each year. The new molecule is relatively heavy, and when attracted by the planet's gravity, begins to be drawn downwards. Although the other gas giants in the solar system Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune also have rings, Saturn's rings are particularly prominent, earning it the nickname the "Ringed Planet." Facts about Saturn. Saturn is the most distant planet that can be seen with the naked eye. It is the fifth brightest object in the solar system and is also easily studied through binoculars or a small telescope. Saturn was known to the ancients, including the Babylonians and Far Eastern observers.

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