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Saturn
Although Saturn appears as a bright yellow star, it is smaller and farther away
than Jupiter. Galileo first observed the surrounding rings in 1610. The Dutch astronomer
Huygens in 1655 demonstrated that the rings were actually separated from the globular
planet. There are five of them, the last two determined from the spacecraft Pioneer
Saturn in 1979. Because of the low density, the composition of the rings is principally
ice.
The planet appears somewhat oval due to a flattening at the poles from the fast
rotation, which is a little more than one rotation every ten hours. Saturn has a magnetic
field and radiation belts. The rings, however, absorb much of the radiation, and
therefore, there is much less radiation in this area of space than anywhere else.
Three moons, Janus, Enceleladus, and Tethyso also take up some of the radiation
particles. The rings are not bands of liquid or solid, but small particles of ammonia ice
which move like satellites around the planet. None is visible to the naked eye. Saturn
has eleven moons. Titan is the largest moon. It is planetary size and can be seen with a
small telescope. Since Titan has an atmosphere, some astronomers consider it, as well as
Mars, to be a place which could possible sustain some form of life.
Saturn has narrow belts, occasional spots that indicate disturbances that do not
last long, a thick atmosphere, and a very low temperature (-270 degrees F). The
atmosphere may have a temperature of 41 degrees F and jetstreams occur above and
below its equator. The gaseous outer area contains more methane and less ammonia than
Jupiter, since more of the ammonia is frozen. Saturn may stay in or near a particular
constellation for two years or more.
1. List two things about the rings of Saturn: _______________________
_______________________
2. Name four physical characteristics of Saturn: __________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
3. Name two reasons why the area of space surrounding Saturn contain the least
amount of radiation. _____________________________________________
4. What two gases are in Saturn’s atmosphere? ______________ and
_______________
5. What is Saturn’s largest moon? _______________________
6. Saturn has a ___________________field and _________________ belts.
7. Why is there less ammonia in Saturn’s atmosphere than there is in Jupiter’s
atmosphere?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
8. The total number of Saturn’s rings is _______________________.
TURN PAPER OVER
9. Finish the puzzle with words from the article.
__ __ __ S __ __ __
mass of a substance
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ A __ __ __
a moon of Saturn
__ __ __ T __ __ __ __ __ polar areas become this
from fast rotations
__ __ __ U __
a moon of Saturn
__ __ R __ __ __ __ __ __ “bits” of radiation
__ __ N __ __
Saturn has five