Saturn - the largest celestial body located on the sixth from the sun.Known the ringed planet since ancient times.Saturn is one of the giant planets that make up the solar system.
General
Planet, which has a ring removed from the Sun of 1.43 billion kilometers.This distance is almost 9.5 times greater than that of our planet to the star.Sirius makes a revolution around our star for 29.4 Earth years.
Saturn - the planet is unique.He is heavier than the Earth 95 times.At this diameter, it most 9 times.The density is 0.69 g / cc.cm - which is lower than that of water.Assuming that space stretches vast ocean, Sirius would be able to swim in it!All the other planets of denser water - some - slightly, some - a lot.Such a low density and thus a very fast rotation around its axis compressed the planet more than any other.Its radius at the equator is almost 11% more than at the poles.Such a high compression can not be overlooked in the telescope - a planet visible flattened rather than circular.
ringed planet has no solid surface.The fact that the Earth's surface it seems, is really a cloud.The top layer - the frozen ammonia, below are gidrosulfidammonievye clouds.The deeper dive into the atmosphere of Saturn, the hotter it becomes, and the density - higher.Around the middle of the radius of the hydrogen becomes metallic.
Rings
Previously it was thought that Saturn - the only planet in the solar system that has a ring.However, today we know that this is not true.All four gas giants have rings.But not for nothing is known to us as Saturn planet with rings.The fact that she is most significant, unique and prominent rings at their other planets seen not always in any telescope.
As predicted even Huygens in 1659, these same ring - not a single solid body, it is billions of billions of very small particles, rotating in a circle.
Total revolves around four rings of Saturn - the three main and one barely noticeable.All rings reflect more light than the planet itself.The central ring - the most vivid and broad, it is separated from the outer ring of the Cassini division, almost 4 thousand. Kilometers.In this slot located translucent ring.The outer ring is split band Enke.The inner ring - almost haze, so it is transparent.
In reality, these rings are very thin.Their thickness - less than a thousand meters, although the diameter - more than 250 kilometers.It seems that these rings are very powerful and bulky, but it was calculated that if you collect all the substance of their components, in one "heap", the diameter of the body is not more than 100 km.
images that we transmit probes suggest that rings are composed of many small rings reminding track records.Most of the particles that make up the rings do not exceed several centimeters.Few of them are more than a few meters.And it is a unit - 1-2 kilometers.Most likely, they are composed of ice or a substance similar to the stone, but covered with ice.
Scientists are not sure of the origin of the rings.There is a version that they arose simultaneously with the planet itself.In any case, the matter constituting the ring permanently replaced, replenished, possibly due to the destruction of small satellites.
satellites
the end of February 2010, it was aware of the 62 moons of Saturn.Most of them rotates around its axis at the same speed as the planet around, so they are always turned toward one side of it.
largest moon of Saturn - Titan.At the moment, there is a version that is now on Titan conditions are similar to those which were 4 billion years ago on Earth when life originated barely.
between satellites and rings, there is complete consistency.Some of them, according to the observations of scientists are "shepherds" ring to hold them in place.
Research
planet with rings of interested people even in 1609, when Galileo began observing her.Since then, studies of the planet were from many telescopes, and in 1997 launched the research unit.In July 2004, he entered the orbit of the planet.In addition, the probe "Huygens" descended to Titan to study its surface.
Interesting
planet surrounded by rings, has no solid surface.Its density is lower than that of all the bodies in the solar system.It consists of the planet of the lightest elements of the periodic - hydrogen and helium.
Clouds Saturn form an almost regular hexagon.It was discovered in 1980 by the passing "Voyager."This phenomenon was not observed in any other place of the solar system.Moreover, this form of clouds at the north pole of the planet remained for 20 years.
North Pole of Saturn's aurora can boast, which scientists have never seen elsewhere.The uniqueness of them not only in the fact that the mere glow blue, and the clouds reflected in the red, but that glow covers the entire pole, while Jupiter and Earth just surround the magnetic poles.Images of Saturn's auroral ring was allowed to suspect that the charged particles are exposed to the sun the other magnetic forces, the nature of which is not currently investigated.
