Fast Facts for Kids
Saturn Facts for Kids

Saturn Facts for Kids

  • Planet Name: Saturn
  • Planet Type: Gas Giant
  • Region: Outer Solar System
  • Moons: 84
  • Rotation Period: 0.444 (Earth days)
  • Sun Orbit Period: 29.447498 (Earth years)
  • Discovered: 1610 (First telescope observation)

13 Saturn Facts For Kids

  1. The planet Saturn was formed from a small part of a giant molecular cloud that had a gravitational collapse about 4.6 billion years ago.
  2. Saturn is easily visible with the naked eye and has been observed since prehistoric times. The first observation of Saturn using a telescope was in 1610 by Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei.
  3. Saturn is classified as a gas giant planet (failed star).
  4. Saturn’s atmosphere contains approximately 96.3% hydrogen, 3.2% helium and 0.5% other gases.
  5. Saturn is the sixth farthest planet from the Sun at 886,489,415 miles or 9.54 astronomical units.
  6. Saturn is the second largest planet in our Solar System with a radius of 36,184 miles or 945% the size of Earth.
  7. Light from the Sun takes 79.3 minutes (4,759 seconds) to reach Saturn.
  8. Saturn completes an orbit around the Sun every 29.447498 Earth years.
  9. Saturn completes a full planet rotation every 0.444 Earth days.
  10. Saturn is the sixth coldest planet in our Solar System with an average surface temperature of -220 °F.
  11. Saturn has 84 discovered moons (natural satellites).
  12. Saturn is one of the four planets in our Solar System with a ring system.
  13. The first spacecraft to explore and study Saturn was NASA’s Pioneer 11 in 1979.

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Saturn Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on the planet Saturn. Below are three various pictures of Saturn. These pictures should help you better understand Saturn, one of the eight planets in our Solar System.

Picture of Saturn by Hubble Telescope

A picture of Saturn by Hubble Telescope.

Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (GSFC), M.H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley) and the OPAL Team
Saturn and Five of its Moons

A picture of Saturn and five of its Moons.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
A Picture of Saturn by Pioneer 11

A picture of Saturn by Pioneer 11.

Credit: ASA Ames

Planet Saturn Resources

We hope you found the above Saturn facts, information, data, and pictures both fun and educational. You can continue to research the planet Saturn using one of the below additional resources. They were chosen for their credibility and accuracy; you can trust their information when it comes to Saturn. Thank you for choosing Fast Facts for Kids.