18 FAQs about Saturn (The Astronomy Cafe)

Basic Facts:

Cassini Spacecraft Mission Page at JPL

Fact Sheet NASA/NSSDC

Satellites NASA/NSSDC

Ring System NASA/NSSDC Pictures:

Voyager Mission NASA/JPL Archive

  1. Is the Great White Spot on Saturn a periodic phenomenon and what causes it?
  2. How thick are the rings of Saturn?
  3. Will Saturn's rings be visible in 1997 or 1998?
  4. How many rings does Saturn have?
  5. What is the composition of the surface of Titan?
  6. How do I find Saturn from a latitude of 23 degrees South, in January 1997?
  7. When in 1998 will Saturn be in opposition in Libra?
  8. Why do the rings of Saturn all lie in the same plane?
  9. Does Io have a magnetic field?
  10. When will Saturn's rings again be visible through a small telescope?
  11. Where do planetary rings come from?
  12. Do the giant planets have similar internal structure?
  13. Do the giant planets like Jupiter have solid surfaces?
  14. When can both Mercury and Saturn be seen, and where?
  15. Could there be life on Titan or Europa?
  16. In Star Trek Voyager, would you really be able to see the reflection of the starship off the rings of the Saturn-like planet that appears in the opening credits?
  17. Was there or will there be a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on September 2 or December 5?
  18. Why do the rings of the planets orbit around the equators rather than the poles of the planets?

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