Atmosphere of Saturn: composition, structure

The planet Saturn is included in the category of gas giants of the solar system. In size it is the second after Jupiter, it has a huge mass and a dense layer of rings that surround it. Saturn's atmosphere is a phenomenon that has been the subject of scientific controversy for many years. But today it is reliably established that it is gases that form the basis of the whole air body, which does not have a solid surface.

The history of the great discovery

For a long time, scientists believed that our system is locked just by this huge planet, and there is already nothing behind its orbit. Her study was done from the distant 1610, after Galileo examined Saturn in a telescope, and also identified in his notes the presence of his rings. In those years, no one could think that this heavenly body is so different from Earth, Venus or Mars: it does not even have a surface and consists entirely of gases heated up 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 sphere. She was exploring the Voyager 1 satellite, which was able to release the probe into the outer layers of the atmosphere. Images were obtained that indicated the hydrogen content mainly in the composition of Saturn's clouds, as well as many other gases. Since then, studies have been conducted only on the basis of theories and calculations. And here it is fair to note that one of the most mysterious and unexplored planets right up to the present moment is precisely Saturn.

The presence of the atmosphere, its composition

We know that the planets of the terrestrial group, which are in close proximity to the Sun, do not have an atmosphere. But this solid bodies, which consist of stone and metal, have a certain mass and the corresponding parameters. With gas balls things are very different. The atmosphere of Saturn is the basis of his own. Infinite gas vapors, fogs and clouds gather in an incredible amount and form the shape of a ball due to the magnetic field of the nucleus. The basis of the atmosphere of the planet is hydrogen: it is over 96 percent. As impurities, other gases are present, the proportions of which depend on the depth. It should be noted that there are no water crystals, 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 one. The first consists of 96.3 percent of molecular hydrogen, 3 percent of helium. To these basic gases are mixed such components as phosphine, ammonia, methane and ethane. Here there are strong surface winds, the speed of which reaches 500 m / s. As for the lower layer of the atmosphere, here there is a predominance of metallic hydrogen - 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 we approach the nucleus, the temperature reaches a thousand Kelvin, because for now, it is impossible to explore the planet with probes made under terrestrial conditions.

Atmospheric phenomena

The most common phenomena on this planet are winds and hurricanes. Most of the flows are blowing from west to east with respect to axial rotation. A slight lull is observed in the equatorial zone, and as it moves away from it, western streams arise. There are also places on Saturn where certain weather phenomena occur with constant frequency . For example, a large white oval occurs in the southern hemisphere once every thirty years. During such "bad weather" Saturn's atmosphere, whose composition further contributes to this phenomenon, everything is literally pierced with lightning. Discharges occur mainly in the middle latitudes, between the equator and the poles. As for the latter, the main phenomenon here is the polar light. Stronger outbreaks 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 is exerted, hence the temperature rises. In the middle layers it is -88 degrees, and pressure - about a thousand atmospheres. The extreme point reached by the probe was a temperature zone of -3. According to calculations in the core of the planet, the pressure reaches 3 million atmospheres. The temperature is 11,700 degrees Celsius.

Afterword

We briefly reviewed the structure of Saturn's atmosphere. Its composition can be compared with Jupiter, and there are similarities with the ice giants - Uranus and Neptune. But, like every gas balloon, Saturn is unique in its structure. Very strong winds are blowing here, the pressure reaches incredible values, and the temperature remains cool (by astronomical measures).