It’s a beautiful, clear night, perfect for stargazing! When you look up at the sky, you might see a bright spot that looks like a star. But guess what? It’s not a star at all—it’s a planet, and that planet is Saturn!
You can tell it’s Saturn because of the rings around its middle. While our telescope might not be strong enough to see Saturn up close, astronomers—scientists who study space—have special tools to take amazing pictures of it. Check out this cool fact: Saturn is much bigger than Earth! If Saturn were hollow, you could fit more than 700 Earths inside it!
Saturn is one of the eight planets in our solar system and is the sixth planet from the sun. It’s known as a gas giant, which means it’s mostly made of gas. Like all planets, Saturn moves around the sun in a path called an orbit, which is shaped like an oval.
Did you know that not only do planets orbit the sun, but moons orbit planets too? Just like our moon orbits Earth, Saturn has a whopping 62 moons! Each moon follows its own path, or orbit, around Saturn. And Saturn’s famous rings also orbit the planet!
Scientists believe there are seven major rings around Saturn, named A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Although they look solid like a hula hoop, they’re actually made of many pieces of rock and ice. Some pieces are as tiny as dust, while others are as big as houses or even small mountains!
Even though the rings look still in pictures, they’re constantly moving. Each piece of rock and ice orbits Saturn, just like the moons do.
No one knows for sure how Saturn got its rings, but astronomers have some ideas. One idea is that the rings might be related to Saturn’s moons. Since Saturn is so big and has so many moons, some scientists think that maybe, a long time ago, it had even more moons. Perhaps some of these moons broke apart after being hit by asteroids or comets. The leftover dust, rock, and ice stayed in orbit around Saturn, forming its rings.
Saturn’s rings are always changing because the pieces of rock and ice sometimes collide and break apart. This means there’s still a lot to see and learn about them!
Now it’s time to say “goodnight” to you and Saturn’s rings. Thanks to Ms. King’s class at Truman Elementary in La Quinta, California, for asking this stellar question! And thank YOU for joining us on SciShow Kids! If you have a question about space, animals, or anything else, get help from a grown-up and let us know in the comments below, or send us an email at [email protected]. See you next time!
Create Your Own Saturn Model: Gather some craft supplies like paper plates, colored paper, scissors, glue, and markers. Use a paper plate to represent Saturn and cut strips of colored paper to create its rings. Arrange the strips around the plate and glue them in place. As you build your model, think about how Saturn’s rings are made of ice and rock. Can you imagine what it would be like to see them up close?
Observe the Night Sky: With the help of a grown-up, go outside on a clear night and try to spot Saturn. Use a simple star map or an app to help you find it. Notice how it looks different from the stars around it. Can you see any other planets? Talk about how Saturn is much bigger than Earth and what it might be like to visit a planet made mostly of gas.
Moon Orbit Experiment: Use a ball to represent Saturn and smaller balls or marbles to represent its moons. Place the “Saturn” ball in the center of a table and gently roll the “moons” around it in circles. Watch how they orbit Saturn, just like real moons do. Think about how Saturn has 62 moons and how each one follows its own path. What do you think it would be like to stand on one of Saturn’s moons and look at the rings?
