Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and is known for its prominent ring system.
Saturn is a gas giant composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. Its average radius is about 58,232 kilometers, making it the second-largest planet in the Solar System after Jupiter. The planet’s pale bands and rapid rotation produce a visibly flattened shape at its poles.
Saturn’s rings are made mostly of countless particles of water ice, along with smaller amounts of rocky material and dust. The rings are divided into broad sections and gaps, including the prominent Cassini Division. Although other planets also have rings, Saturn’s are the brightest and most extensive visible ring system.
Saturn has many known moons, including Titan, which is larger than the planet Mercury and has a thick nitrogen-rich atmosphere. The Cassini spacecraft studied Saturn, its rings, and its moons from 2004 until the mission ended in 2017 by entering the planet’s atmosphere.