Saturn

planet

A gas giant famous for its rings of water ice — some 280,000 km across yet only tens of metres thick. Their tilt towards Earth changes over a roughly 15-year cycle.

Data

Type
planet
Equatorial radius
58,232 km
Orbital period
29.5 years
Rotation period
10.7 h
Distance
9.58 AU
Moons
146

Observing tip

The rings show in a 60–70 mm telescope at 30× or more. From 100 mm of aperture the Cassini division appears.

Solar System