Our Solar System: Saturn

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun. It is a gas giant composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. It has an extensive ring system that extends hundreds of thousands of kilometers from the planet’s surface.

Planetary Data

Mass: 570 x 10^27 g
Diameter: 120,536 km
Mean density: 0.69 km/m^3
Escape velocity: 35,500 m/sec
Average distance from Sun: 9.539 AU
Rotation period: approximately 10 hr., 14 min. (Earth time)
Revolution period: 29.5 Earth years
Tilt of axis (in degrees): 26.7
Atmospheric components: 88% hydrogen, 11% helium, traces of methane