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Fast Facts About Saturn

Saturn is a planet that was named after the Roman god of agriculture. Saturn is known for its brilliant reddish colors as well as its rings. While the planet itself can be seen without a telescope, seeing its rings requires viewing equipment. Galileo, an Italian astronomer, first discovered Saturn's rings in the 1600s.

Composition
- Saturn is composed of gas and does not have a solid surface. It does have a solid inner core.
Rings
- Saturn is famous for its seven rings that encircle the planet. These rings are made up of ice particles of varying sizes.
Gravity
- The gravity force on Saturn is slightly higher than the gravity on Earth. According to NASA (see reference 1), an object that weighs 100 pounds on Earth would have a weight of 107 pounds on Saturn.
Orbit
- Saturn travels around the sun at a rate of 29.5 Earth years per orbit. It moves in an elliptical orbit.
Size
- At its equator, Saturn's diameter is about 74,900 miles. It is the second-largest planet; Jupiter is the largest.

Astronomy