Is Saturn Hot or Cold?
Saturn is a mostly cold planet, with areas that reach temperatures as low as minus 270 F. There are some regions of the planet that feature temperatures of 80 F, but these remain unfriendly, having an extremely high atmospheric pressure.
Saturn’s overall environment is defined by the presence of a strong gravity, extreme temperatures and strong winds that reach speeds of 1,000 miles per hour. The atmosphere also includes clouds made of ammonia, water and ammonia hydrosulfide. According to NASA, the temperatures of Saturn’s rings also vary widely, reaching values as low as minus 333 F. Data obtained during the Cassini-Huygens mission shows that some of Saturn’s rings have temperatures around minus 261 F, while others reach minus 198 F.
Saturn cannot support life, but some of the planet’s 53 moons may have conditions favorable for sustainable life. Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun, some 886 million miles away. One day on Saturn is slightly under 11 hours. This is the time it takes for Saturn to rotate once. One Earth year is equal to 29 years on Saturn because this is how long it takes Saturn to complete one orbit around the sun.
Galileo studied Saturn in the 1600s and first thought Saturn’s rings were arms or handles. The planets has a total of seven rings with several gaps between them.
