The Environment of Saturn



This is an image of Saturn.
Click on image for full size version (92K GIF)
Image from: NASA
Saturn's atmospheric environment is one of strong gravity, high pressure, strong winds, from 225 miles per hour to 1000 miles per hour, and cold temperatures of -270 degrees to +80 degrees. With winds like these, it is hard to have peace and quiet.

The region where it is 80 degrees sounds pretty friendly, but where the temperature is 80 degrees, the pressure is about the same as it would be if you were a couple miles below the sea on Earth!

In the atmosphere there are at least three known cloud decks of ammonia, ammonia hydrosulfide, and water, with perhaps sizable condensed droplets. Moreover there is energy from lightning, ultraviolet light, and charged particles.

Saturn's interior possesses an environment of pressures as great as three million times the sea-level pressure on earth, and temperatures as high as 10,000 degrees.

Overall, this environment sounds very unfriendly to life as we know it on earth.



The Environment of Saturn



This is an image of Saturn.
Click on image for full size version (92K GIF)
Image from: NASA
Saturn's atmospheric environment is one of strong gravity, high pressure, strong winds, from 225 miles per hour to 1000 miles per hour, and cold temperatures of -270 degrees to +80 degrees. With winds like these, it is hard to have peace and quiet.

The region where it is 80 degrees sounds pretty friendly, but where the temperature is 80 degrees, the pressure is about the same as it would be if you were a couple miles below the sea on Earth!

In the atmosphere there are at least three known cloud decks of ammonia, ammonia hydrosulfide, and water, perhaps made of huge droplets.

There is energy in the environment from lightning, ultraviolet light, and charged particles.

Saturn's interior possesses an environment of pressures as great as three million times the sea-level pressure on earth, and temperatures as high as 10,000 degrees.

Overall, this environment sounds very unfriendly to life as we know it on earth.



The Environment of Saturn



This is an image of Saturn.
Click on image for full size version (92K GIF)
Image from: NASA
Saturn's atmospheric environment is one of powerful winds, going 250 miles per hour, and temperatures from -270 degrees to +80 degrees. With winds like these, it is hard to have peace and quiet.

The region where it is 80 degrees sounds pretty friendly, but if it got to be -200 degrees, we'd be pretty cold!

The air of Saturn is made of ammonia, sulfur, and water.

Overall, this environment sounds very unfriendly to life as we know it on earth.




Last modified November 25, 1996 by the Windows Team

The source of this material is Windows to the Universe, at http://www.windows.ucar.edu/ at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). ©1995-1999, 2000 The Regents of the University of Michigan; ©2000-05 University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. All Rights Reserved. Site policies and disclaimer