Position - sixth from the sun

Distance from sun - (nearest) 1350 million km (furthest) 1510 million km (average) 1430 million km

Minimum distance from Earth - 1200 million km

Diameter - 120,000 km

Satellites - at least 18 the largest being Titan (5150 km) which is the only satellite with an atmosphere (nitrogen and methane). The others are named Pan, Atlas, Prometheus, Pandora, Epimetheus, Janus, Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Telesto, Calypso, Dione, Helene, Rhea, Hyperion, Iapetus and Phoebe.

Atmosphere - ammonia, hydrogen and helium

Surface Temperature - from -170 ^oC

Length of Day (time taken to rotate once) - about 10 hours

Length of Year (time taken to go round the Sun) - 30 Earth years

Comments - Saturn is another gas giant but is not thought to be as hot at the centre as Jupiter. It does not have a proper solid surface. Saturn is the only planet which is actually less dense than water - this means that if you could find an enormous ocean, Saturn would float.

Major Features - Saturn is famous for it's impressive system of rings, which we now know are a complicated series of rings up to 74,000 km wide and made up of tiny particles of rock and ice. The surface of Saturn itself is not as patterned as Jupiter as clouds of ammonia obscure the surface.

Seeing Saturn from Earth - At it's closest Saturn is a bright yellowish "star" and the strange shape caused by the rings is obvious in binoculars. Saturn is impressive even through a small telescope.

Getting There - Most of the probes sent to Jupiter have continued to Saturn but a special probe is due to be launched this year which will arrive at Saturn in 2002 and land on Titan. Some scientists even believe that a form of life could exist on Titan.