Gas Giant · Updated May 2026
Saturn.
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the solar system, a gas giant best known for its bright ring system. Its 116,460 km diameter is nine times Earth's, but its average density is so low (0.69 g/cm³) that it would float in water. Saturn has 146 confirmed moons as of 2024 — the most of any planet — including Titan, the only moon with a substantial atmosphere, and Enceladus, which sprays water from a global subsurface ocean.
Open Saturn in the viewer →Key facts
Saturn's rings span 282,000 km from the planet but are typically only 10–100 metres thick — about a million times thinner than they are wide. At the viewer's default scale that's a sub-pixel sliver; the visible ring band is the projection of 95% empty space sparsely populated with chunks of water ice from snowflake to house-sized.
Atmosphere
96% hydrogen, 3% helium, with traces of methane and ammonia. Wind speeds reach 1,800 km/h near the equator — five times the strongest hurricanes on Earth. The hexagonal jet stream around Saturn's north pole, first seen by Voyager and confirmed by Cassini, has held its six-sided shape for decades.
Surface
No surface; like Jupiter, the gaseous envelope compresses into liquid metallic hydrogen further down.
Interior
Rocky core, metallic hydrogen layer, liquid hydrogen, gaseous envelope. The internal heat output is 2.3× the energy received from the Sun — partly leftover formation heat, partly helium rain releasing gravitational energy as helium droplets sink through the lighter hydrogen.
Formation
Formed beyond the snow line in the protoplanetary disc, where ice grains stuck together fast enough to build a massive core that pulled in hydrogen and helium gas. Models suggest Jupiter and Saturn migrated significantly during their first hundred million years (the "Grand Tack" hypothesis).
Orbit
Average distance from the Sun: 1.43 billion km (9.54 AU). Orbital period 29.46 Earth years. Axial tilt 26.73° — close to Earth's — which is why we see the rings open and edge-on across a Saturnian year.
Major moons
- Titan — Titan is the only moon with a dense atmosphere and the only place besides Earth with stable surface liquid (methane lakes).
- Enceladus — Enceladus has geysers that spray water ice into space. It has a subsurface ocean and is a prime target for finding life.
- Rhea — Rhea is Saturn's second-largest moon, an icy body with a heavily cratered surface.
- Dione — Dione has bright ice cliffs and is thought to have a subsurface ocean.
Notable missions
- Pioneer 11 (1979 · Past flyby) — First spacecraft to fly past Saturn.
- Voyager 1 & 2 (1980, 1981 · Past flyby) — Detailed close-ups of the rings and major moons.
- Cassini–Huygens (2004–17 · Past) — NASA / ESA / ASI orbiter; Huygens probe landed on Titan in 2005, the most distant landing ever.
- Dragonfly (Launch 2028 · In development) — NASA rotorcraft to fly through Titan's thick atmosphere.
How to view Saturn in 3D
This page is part of an interactive 3D solar system viewer built with Three.js, WebGL 2.0, and custom GLSL shaders. Saturn orbits the Sun in real time alongside every other planet, with adjustable time speed, scale sliders, and a fly mode that lets you pilot a spacecraft between bodies under realistic gravity.
Fly to Saturn now →Frequently asked questions
How old are Saturn's rings?
Cassini gravity data suggests they may be only 100–400 million years old — much younger than Saturn itself, possibly leftovers of a destroyed moon.
How many moons does Saturn have?
146 confirmed as of 2024, more than any other planet.
Could you walk on Saturn?
No. Saturn has no solid surface to stand on.
Sources & methodology
Numbers cross-referenced with the sources below; surface and atmosphere descriptions reflect findings as of May 2026. Renderings in the 3D viewer use textures based on Solar System Scope and NASA imagery.