The planet Saturn is included in the category of gas giants of the solar system. It is the second largest after Jupiter, has a huge mass and a dense layer of rings that surround it. The atmosphere of Saturn is a phenomenon that has been the subject of controversy for many years. But today it has been reliably established that it is gases that form the basis of the entire air body, which does not have a solid surface.
The story of the great discovery
For a long time, scientists believed that our system is closed by this huge planet, and there is nothing beyond its orbit. It has been studied since the distant 1610, after Galileo examined Saturn through a telescope, and also highlighted the presence of rings in his notes. In those years, no one could have thought that this celestial body is so different from Earth, Venus or Mars: it does not even have a surface and consists entirely of gases heated to unimaginable temperatures. The presence of the atmosphere of Saturn was confirmed only in the twentieth century. Moreover, only modern scientists were able to conclude that the planet is a gas ball.
It was investigated by the Voyager 1 satellite, which was able to release a probe into the outer
layers of the atmosphere. Images were taken that indicated mainly hydrogen in Saturn's clouds, as well as many other gases. Since then, research has been conducted only on the basis of theories and calculations. And here it will be fair to say that one of the most mysterious and unexplored planets up to the present moment is exactly Saturn.
The presence of the atmosphere, its composition
We know that the terrestrial planets that are in close proximity to the sun do not have an atmosphere. But these are solid bodies, which consist of stone and metal, have a certain mass and the corresponding parameters. With gas balls, things are completely different. Saturn's atmosphere is the foundation of himself. Infinite gas vapors, mists and clouds gather in incredible quantities and form a ball due to the magnetic field of the nucleus.
The basis of the planet’s atmosphere is hydrogen: over 96 percent. Other gases are present as impurities, the proportions of which depend on depth. It is worth noting that there are no crystals of water, various modifications of ice and other organic substances on Saturn.
Two layers of the atmosphere and their composition
So, the atmosphere of Saturn is divided into two parts: the outer layer and the inner. The first consists of 96.3 percent of molecular hydrogen, 3 percent of helium. Components such as phosphine, ammonia, methane and ethane are mixed with these main gases. There are strong surface winds, the speed of which reaches 500 m / s. As for the lower atmosphere, metallic hydrogen prevails here - about 91 percent, as well as helium. In this environment are clouds of ammonium hydrosulfide. The lower atmospheric layer is always heated to the limit. As you approach the core, the temperature reaches a thousand Kelvin, so far it is impossible to explore the planet using probes made in terrestrial conditions.
Atmospheric phenomena
The most common phenomena on this planet are winds and hurricanes. Most flows blow from west to east with respect to axial rotation. A slight lull is observed in the equator region, and with the distance from it western flows arise. There are places on Saturn where certain weather phenomena occur at regular intervals . For example, the Great White Oval occurs in the southern hemisphere once every thirty years. During such "bad weather" the atmosphere of Saturn, the composition of which further contributes to this phenomenon, is literally riddled with lightning. Discharges occur mainly in the middle latitudes, between the equator and the poles. As for the latter, then the main phenomenon is considered to be the aurora. Stronger flashes occur in the north, since there the magnetic field is stronger than in the south. The radiance appears in the form of oval rings or spirals.
Pressure and temperature
As it turned out, the atmosphere of Saturn makes this planet cool enough in comparison with Jupiter, but, of course, not as icy as Uranus and Neptune. In the upper layers, the temperature is about –178 degrees Celsius, taking into account the constant winds and hurricanes. The closer we move to the core, the more pressure increases, therefore, the temperature rises. In the middle layers, it is –88 degrees, and the pressure is about a thousand atmospheres. The extreme point reached by the probe was a temperature zone of –3. According to calculations, in the region of the planetary core, the pressure reaches 3 million atmospheres. In this case, the temperature is 11,700 degrees Celsius.
Afterword
We briefly examined the structure of Saturn’s atmosphere. Its composition can be compared with the Jupiter one, there are also similarities with the ice giants - Uranus and Neptune. But, like every gas ball, Saturn is unique in its structure. Very strong winds blow here, the pressure reaches incredible indicators, and the temperature remains cool (by astronomical standards).