SATURN

Saturn revolves round the Sun in 29½ years, at a mean distance of 886,000,000 miles, in an orbit slightly eccentric. According to Barnard, its equatorial diameter is 76,470 miles, and its polar diameter 69,770, which figures imply a polar compression of 1/11. This planet is famous for the celebrated “ring” which surrounds it. As a matter-of-fact, when observed by means of high-powered telescopes, this famous “ring” is found to consist of a number of rings—three being clearly distinguishable. For long it was thought that these rings were vaporous; then that they were solid; but the present view is that they are composed of myriads of discrete particles of matter, so closely compacted together that to our remote eyes they appear as a solid mass. These rings are fairly broad, but relatively thin in diameter; they resemble a sort of huge disk. Perhaps 100 miles would be the thickness of these rings. Their diameter, however, is tens of thousands of miles in breadth. Owing to these rings, Saturn is one of the most beautiful of all the planets, when viewed through a high-powered telescope.

Saturn doubtless has certain features in common with Jupiter, as to its physical appearance. The general hue of the planet is yellowish-white; it probably has no atmosphere, or at most a very tenuous one. It is attended by ten satellites, the largest of which is known as Titan, thought to be about 2,700 miles in diameter.