No, Saturn is not a failed star. Even if some of the characteristics the planet displays could lead one to assume that it may be a failed star, as it lacks the significant mass of a genuine star and the fact that when forming, it formed like that of a planet as opposed to a … Read more
Thanks to its gigantic size and unique ring formations, Saturn is the most recognizable planet in our solar system. While the rings appear flat and smooth, we now know that they are collections of rocks and ice balls that range in thickness from 10 meters to 1km. This may sound like a lot, but it … Read more
Saturn is the flattest planet in our solar system, with an equatorial diameter 10.7% thicker than its polar diameter. Outside our solar system, the dwarf planet Haumea is flatter still, with an equatorial diameter along its long axis double the size of its shortest axis. While all planets are roughly spherical by definition, relative flatness varies … Read more
All known gas giants, like Jupiter and Saturn, have solid cores. These cores are either rocky or metallic, and aren’t completely solid throughout, with some of the core being comprised of molten metal and rock. It’s hard to imagine that the most massive things in our solar system besides the Sun could be made of something … Read more
Is there life “out there?” Could there be life on another planet in our own solar system? Could Saturn support life? What would life need to survive? To determine whether a planet is habitable, you must first define “life” and specify the conditions necessary to sustain it (or at least the life we know of … Read more
Saturn is one of the largest planets in our solar systems, the 6th planet orbiting the sun and is most well known for the rings orbiting it. Of course the main reason you’re here is to learn how you can see Saturn with a telescope and despite it’s distance from Earth, with the right equipment … Read more
