Differences between Saturn & Earth

Size

• Saturn, second in size only to Jupiter among planets of our solar system, has a mass 95 times that of Earth.

  Earth, the fifth largest planet, has an equatorial diameter of 7,926 miles, whereas Saturn's measures 74,898 miles. More than 760 Earths could fit inside Saturn.

Composition

• Earth is the largest of the four inner planets known as the "rocky planets." Its atmosphere is made up of mostly nitrogen and oxygen. The rest of the planet is solid and has a core of molten iron and solid nickle. Earth is the only celestial body in the solar system known to have liquid water on its surface. By contrast, Saturn, one of the four planets dubbed the "gas giants," is a ball of hydrogen and helium and has no solid surface aside from its rocky core. Saturn's clouds consist of ammonia and methane. Earth is the densest of the planets, while Saturn -- the least dense -- is less so than water.

Rings

• Saturn boasts the most spectacular ring system of any planet. Collectively, the thousands of individual rings that surround Saturn measure 169,800 miles across, but are only 30 to 300 feet thick. Some rings consist of bits of frozen water, others are made up grains of dust and chunks of rock and many are a combination of both. Earth, like the rest of the inner planets, lacks rings.

Moons

• Earth and Saturn also have a disparity when it comes to natural satellites. Earth has only one moon, while Saturn has more than 60. Some of Saturn's moons orbit the planet in between rings or just outside of them, thereby keeping the ring particles in place. Most of Saturn's rings and moons are within the planet's magnetosphere, which is 578 times stronger than Earth's.

Rotation and Revolution

• A day on Earth is 24 hours long. Saturn spins at a much higher rate, completing one rotation on its axis every 10 hours and 39 minutes. Saturn spins so fast that its equator bulges outward and its poles appear flattened. Because it is farther from the sun, Saturn takes much longer than Earth to complete one orbit. A year on Saturn is equivalent to slightly less than 30 Earth years.