ICY SCIENCE: SCIENCE SPACE ASTRONOMY Spring 2014 | Page 24

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A Day on Saturn
It is complicated to determine a Saturn day; after all, the entire
planet is a ball of gas with no land features to mark a point and time
how long that point makes a full revolution. The different layers
observed, rotate at different speeds.
Astronomers have devised a system to look at the different areas
rotation. It is called System 1, 2 and 3.
However, a day on Saturn is roughly just over 10 hours.
What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolving, they are still settling in gravitational terms. This means they are
contracting which in turn created internal heat. Saturn radiates 3
times more heat than it receives from the sun.

The Rings
Saturn’s rings can be seen with a small telescope; however larger
telescopes give you more detail. The rings are amazing to see. With
a smaller telescope the rings appear more as one ring, larger scopes
you can make out in more detail individual rings.
The rings have been identified and labelled in order of discovery
and using a simple identification system, (A,B,C to G).

ICY SCIENCE | QTR 2 SPRING 2014