Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius about nine times that of Earth. Although it has only one-eighth the average density of Earth, it is over 95 times more massive. Even though Saturn is almost as large as Jupiter, it has less than a third of Jupiter’s mass. Saturn orbits the Sun at a distance of 9.59 AU (1,434 million km) and has an orbital period of 29.45 years.

Saturn’s interior is believed to consist of a rocky core, surrounded by a deep layer of metallic hydrogen, an intermediate layer of liquid hydrogen and helium, and an outer layer of gas. Saturn has a pale yellow hue due to ammonia crystals in its upper atmosphere. An electrical current in the metallic hydrogen layer is thought to generate Saturn’s magnetic field. Though weaker than Earth’s magnetic field, Saturn’s magnetic moment is 580 times greater due to the planet’s size. Its magnetic field strength is about one-twentieth that of Jupiter.

The outer atmosphere of Saturn is generally bland and low in contrast, though long-lived features can appear. Wind speeds on Saturn can reach up to 1,800 kilometers per hour (1,100 miles per hour).