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Geology of Saturn

Geology is the study of land and landforms, which are based on solid ground, like rocks, soil, and sand. Since Saturn does not have these things, Saturn does not have geological traits. However, Saturn does have several traits that may be interesting to students. Only a handful of planets are visible to the naked eye from Earth. One of these is Saturn, the second largest in our solar system. Though ancient humans were well aware of Saturn, it was not until 1610 that an astronomer finally viewed it with a telescope. That astronomer was Galileo, whose observations proved inconclusive. Since Galileo's time, a great deal more has been learned about this mysterious planet, including its gaseous exterior, its dense core and its brilliant display of outer rings.

Saturn: The Basics Orbiting the sun from a distance of 886 million miles, Saturn is the sixth planet in our solar system. Consisting primarily of helium and hydrogen, it does not have a solid surface like Earth does. Despite being 755 times larger in volume than Earth, Saturn orbits the sun only once every 30 years. This is attributed to its distance from the sun, which is about 10 times our own. geology.lover Atmosphere and Interior Most of Saturn is not solid, but gaseous, making it difficult to distinguish between its atmosphere and its planetary mass. At the upper reaches of Saturn's atmosphere, patches of ammonia, methane and other compounds are visible among the mixture of helium and hydrogen. Farther inward, the planet is scoured by violent winds that move nearly five times as fast as Earth's most devastating hurricanes. Then, there is a layer of liquid hydrogen and liquid helium. Deeper still lies Saturn's core, a dense mass of rock that is roughly the size of the Earth. It is kept solid by continuous heat and pressure. The Ring Layers One of Saturn's best-known features is its complex ring system. Other planets in our solar system possess ring layers as well, but Saturn's are easily the largest and most vivid. Although they extend outward for roughly 175,000 miles, each ring is relatively thin, with many less than 3,000 feet across. The rings move at different speeds, and astronomers believe they contain the icy fragments of asteroids and comets that broke apart and became trapped in Saturn's orbit before they could reach its atmosphere. Orbiting Bodies In addition to its ring system, Saturn also possesses an elaborate network of orbiting moons: 53 have been identified, while another nine await verification. Saturn's most prominent moon, Titan, is actually larger than the planet Mercury. In fact, Titan even has its own atmosphere, one that may contain enough nitrogen to support life someday. Much about Titan -- and Saturn as a whole -- remains unknown. But with the Cassini spacecraft now sending back streams of photographs and data, astronomers may someday be able to unlock the secrets of planet.

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