Saturn – Astronomy of Planets

Saturn is one of the most interesting planets in the solar system, and it is most famous for its stunning array of rings. The great ball of Saturn is made up mostly of hydrogen and helium. Since Saturn shines brighter than most stars, to the naked eye it appears yellowish. We will provide an overview of Saturn, and the development of Cassini Mission. While doing so, we will be answering the question, how do we know the size, temperature, composition and distribution about Saturn’s rings and orbit from the Cassini Mission? The discoveries of Cassini Mission lead to many specific aspects of Saturn that made it one of the most extraordinary planets in the solar system; such as its size and mass materials, its rings system, and the formation of its fabricated unique features. Cassini sent numerous images and information to the astronomers back on Earth, who were able to study these images and get a better understanding of Saturn. From these images, Saturn’s equinox will be described. The features of Saturn and its rings will be further explained and what Cassini’s data led the NASA team to discover. The surprising find will improve our understanding of where planets form around a star and explore furthermore on the interesting planet of Saturn.

While the most obvious observation about Saturn may be the fact that it is surrounded by rings, it is important to understand the background of the rings to help fully understand this phenomenon. Diving deeper into the “how” of what we know about Saturn and its rings, also gives us the opportunity to explore the vast layers of science behind our discoveries. By developing a better understanding of the importance of Saturn’s rings, what is already known about these rings, their composition and the research that led us to this conclusion, we can develop a better appreciation of the planet as a whole. When determining what the rings of Saturn are made of, as well as how we know this, we must look at the history of the rings, their composition, the science that led us to this conclusion, the impact these rings have on Saturn, as well as where we are looking to in the future.

Saturn is surrounded by 62 moons, Titan and Enceladus being two that have been recently explored by the Cassini mission orchestrated by NASA. This mission has revealed previously unseen events that have changed our understanding of how planetary systems form and what conditions might lead to habitats for earth-like life. With Enceladus’s global ocean, unique chemistry and internal heat, it has great potential to be one of the world’s where earth-like life could exist. Along with Enceladus, Titan contains molecular substances that have the ability to support life. The question we wish to answer with this project is: how do we know there is the possibility for life on Saturn’s moons, Titan and Enceladus?

When you think of our Moon, you probably picture a plain, grey, crater-filled place without much else going for it. Two of Saturn’s moons, Titan and Enceladus, couldn’t be more different from this description. Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. Though, it is well known for its phenomenal rings, few know that Saturn has 62 moons. Even lesser known is just how interesting the moons can be! Titan is Saturn’s largest moon and is the only object in space other than Earth where clear evidence of surface lakes has been found.

Saturn: The Gas Giants' Outer Planet (Spring 2018)

An Overview of Saturn's Rings (Winter 2018)

The Great White Spot: A Look at the Science behind Saturn’s Storms and Missions (Fall 2017)

Life on Titan and Enceladus (Spring 2017)

Titan and Enceladus: Who Knew Moons Could Be So Interesting? (Winter 2017)

Saturn’s Rings (Fall 2016)

Saturn’s Rings and the Cassini Division (Winter 2016)