Reference image
Saturn planet solar system object
Object guide

Saturn is a gas giant best known for its spectacular ring system made of ice and rock. It has dozens of moons including Titan and Enceladus, which are high-priority targets for astrobiology. Saturn is approximately 116,464 km across.

How to observe Saturn

Saturn is best observed near opposition or greatest elongation as appropriate; steady seeing and repeated short observations reveal more than excessive magnification.

Scientific context

Useful scale comparisons are 9.14 Earth diameters, 1.065 g surface gravity, 29.457 Earth years per orbit. These values are rounded from the catalogue measurements shown on this page.

Radius
58,232 km
Diameter
116,464 km
Mass
5.683E+26 kg
Mean density
0.687 g/cm³
Surface gravity
10.44 m/s² (1.065 g)
Mean temperature
-140°C
Orbital period
10,759 days (29.457 years)
Semi-major axis
9.58 AU
Mean sunlight travel time
79.67 minutes
9.14 Earth diameters1.065 g surface gravity29.457 Earth years per orbit

Source: NASA Science (checked 2026-08-09). Values are rounded catalogue measurements.

24-hour altitude profile
90°
60°
30°
-10°
10:25
14:25
18:25
22:25
02:25
06:25
10:25
Interactive orbit model
Aug 13, 2026, 22:25
Calculated positions / separate exploration scales