Saturn

• Aquila Hardman
• Short Story
• 2012

The Planet Saturn:
is a favourite object for many observers. Its beautiful rings are 169,800 miles wide, but less thick than a football field.
In many ways Saturn is similar to Jupiter, but it is much smaller. Under the clouds of methane and helium the sky gradually turns into liquid until it becomes a giant ocean of liquid chemicals.
Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system and is another gas giant.
Saturn has a small rocky core covered with liquid gas.
It is surrounded by systems of rings that stretch out into space for thousands of kilometres.
The rings are made up of millions of ice crystals, some as big as houses and others as small as specks of dust.
Saturn is very light as it is made up of more hydrogen than helium so it is less dense. If we could fit Saturn into a bathtub it would float (but that would have to be one big bathtub!)
Like Jupiter, Saturn has many moons which surround it.
Saturn is not a peaceful planet. Storm winds race around the atmosphere at 800kmp/h.
Saturn has a very strong magnetic field which traps energy particles resulting in high levels of radiation.