What is Saturn's axial tilt in degrees?

The story behind the answer

Saturn’s axial tilt is 26.73 degrees. This is the angle between Saturn’s rotation axis and a line perpendicular to the plane of its orbit around the Sun.

That tilt gives Saturn distinct seasons, much as Earth’s 23.44-degree tilt does. However, Saturn’s year lasts about 29.45 Earth years, so each Saturnian season lasts roughly 7.4 Earth years. The planet’s famous rings orbit close to its equatorial plane, so their changing angle toward the Sun and Earth also reflects Saturn’s axial tilt.

The figure is sometimes confused with Saturn’s ring inclination as seen from Earth, which changes over time because of viewing geometry. It is also different from Saturn’s orbital inclination, which describes the tilt of Saturn’s orbit relative to the Solar System’s reference plane. Saturn’s 26.73-degree axial tilt is the standard modern value used in planetary reference data.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

Add question to a list

Choose a list to keep this question in: