Saturn

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest after Jupiter. Saturn is also the most beautiful, mainly because of its streched discs which from the Cassini space probe, look like the face of a vinyl disc.

Atmosphere and climate
Saturn has a thick atmosphere like Jupiter, with pressure so high that it squashes the planet below into liquid. The lowest layer is made of water ice and the highest is made of ammonia crystals which cause the haze to envelop the cloud features.

Climate
Saturn has a stormy climate like Jupiter, but the cloud features are masked by a high-altitude layer of haze. A white storm called the Great White Spot sometimes appears, but they are rare as they only happen 30 years. Another notable storm is the Dragon Storm, a vast lightning storm in Saturn's southern hemisphere which can engulf the Earth. In December 2010, a strange swirl showed in the northern hemisphere which would become a global lightning storm. The storm circled the planet in a matter of weeks and enveloped it all. Winds on Saturn can reach 1800 km/h (500 km/s).

Magnetic field and strange aurorae
Saturn has a strong magnetic field, like Earth's and Jupiter's and when solar particles strike it, they create bright aurorae. But the Saturnian aurorae is strange as it produces a strange spiral pattern not seen on the other two planets. It is thought to be rotated by wind.

Orbit and rotation
Saturn completes an orbit around the Sun every 29 and a half years, and like all giant planets, including the Earth, has a fast rotation. Saturn completes a day every 10 hours and 35 minutes.

Ring system
Saturn's rings are one of the most beautiful sights to see in the night sky with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. They are divided into