Saturn
Orbital eccentricity
Compared to other planets in our solar system, the orbit of Saturn has an average degree of eccentricity. At the scale of this diagram, Saturn is over 50 feet closer to the Sun when at perihelion, and its aphelion is a corresponding distance farther out. Light from the Sun takes between 1 hour, 15 minutes and 1 hour, 24 minutes to reach Saturn.
More interesting facts
You can view these links to learn even more about Saturn and its moons:
The Saturn image on this page was taken in 2010 by the Cassini probe, and is courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute.
If you arrived at this page by scanning a QR code, and want more information, please see the Introduction page.
Compared to other planets in our solar system, the orbit of Saturn has an average degree of eccentricity. At the scale of this diagram, Saturn is over 50 feet closer to the Sun when at perihelion, and its aphelion is a corresponding distance farther out. Light from the Sun takes between 1 hour, 15 minutes and 1 hour, 24 minutes to reach Saturn.
More interesting facts
- Saturn is only about one-third of the distance from the Sun to Neptune.
- Saturn is the second-largest planet in our solar system, and like Jupiter, it is classified as a gas giant.
- Saturn is perhaps best known for its prominent rings, the brightest of which are represented on this diagram.
- As of 2020, Saturn is known to have 82 moons. Most of them are very small, but the seven largest are planetary-mass moons, so they are shown in this model. Information about them can be found on these pages:
You can view these links to learn even more about Saturn and its moons:
The Saturn image on this page was taken in 2010 by the Cassini probe, and is courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute.
If you arrived at this page by scanning a QR code, and want more information, please see the Introduction page.
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