Astronomy & Astrophysics 101: Saturn
What Is Saturn? Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun. It is a gas giant, and the second largest and second most massive planet…
What Is Saturn? Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun. It is a gas giant, and the second largest and second most massive planet…
Planets are surrounded by rings because they are made up of particles that orbit the planet. These particles can be made up of a variety…
The subsurface ocean of Saturn’s moon is most likely rich in phosphorus, a key component for life. The hunt for extraterrestrial life has just become…
Saturn’s Rings and Tilt Could Be the Product of an Ancient, Missing Moon According to a new study, a “grazing encounter” may have smashed the…
A new hypothesis reveals that a global sedimentary cycle driven by seasons could explain the formation of landscapes on Saturn’s moon Titan. The research shows…
Saturn’s high-altitude winds generate an extraordinary aurorae. University of Leicester space scientists have discovered a previously unseen mechanism that powers the massive planetary aurorae at…
Discovery could point to a new class of “stealth” ocean worlds. A Southwest Research Institute scientist set out to prove that the tiny, innermost moon…
From a viewpoint about 90 kilometers (56 miles) above Lacus Veris, “Lake of Spring,” the camera aboard NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft imaged Saturn…
Seismic activity could give scientists a read on the thickness of the ice encasing the moon and the oceans believed to lie beneath. Tidal stresses…
Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, is a natural laboratory to study the origins of life. Like Earth, Titan has a dense atmosphere and seasonal weather cycles,…
Saturn Makes Waves in its Own Rings In the same way that earthquakes cause our planet to rumble, oscillations in the interior of Saturn make…
Among our solar system’s many moons, Saturn’s Titan stands out – it’s the only moon with a substantial atmosphere and liquid on the surface. It…
A study published in Nature Astronomy concludes that known geochemical processes can’t explain the levels of methane measured by the Cassini spacecraft on Saturn’s icy…
Nearly 40 years ago, scientists first predicted the existence of helium rain inside planets composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, such as Jupiter and Saturn….
Researchers simulate conditions necessary for planet’s unique magnetic field. New Johns Hopkins University simulations offer an intriguing look into Saturn’s interior, suggesting that a thick…
Buried beneath 20 kilometers of ice, the subsurface ocean of Enceladus—one of Saturn’s moons—appears to be churning with currents akin to those on Earth. The…
Spring doesn’t just happen on Earth. Spring also happens on some of our neighboring planets in the solar system. Of the countless equinoxes Saturn has…
Layers of ice and rock obviate the need for “habitable zone” and shield life against threats. SwRI researcher theorizes worlds with underground oceans may be…