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8 Facts about Saturn
Saturn: A Giant of Gas and Rings
- Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system.
- It's also the least dense planet, meaning that it would float if placed in water.
- Its atmosphere is made up of mostly hydrogen and helium, with a small amount of methane and other trace gases.
- The temperature on Saturn can range from -178 degrees Celsius at the poles to 11 degrees Celsius at the equator.
- There are believed to be over 60 moons orbiting Saturn, with 52 of them being confirmed by astronomers.
- One day on Saturn lasts for 10 hours and 33 minutes, which is slightly longer than a day on Earth (24 hours).
- The famous rings of Saturn are made up of ice particles, dust and rocks ranging in size from micrometers to meters across.
- Although it's not currently visible to us, every 29 years or so Saturn appears to have a "ring tilt" where its rings appear tilted towards or away from Earth as seen from our perspective.