by Ramona Taylor

Created on: February 14, 2011   Last Updated: February 17, 2011

Named for the Roman God of Agriculture, Saturn is possibly one of the most intriguing and most beautiful planets in our Solar System.  The second largest planet in the Solar System, Saturn stands alone as one of the most heavenly bodies in the night sky.  For centuries, man has marveled at this ringed orb, but it has only been in modern times that scientists have truly began to uncover some of the intriguing details that make Saturn so unique among its planetary siblings.  Here are a few of the top things to know about this fascinating planet:

1. Party of Five

Five planets, including Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, were known to the ancients, because they could be seen with the naked eye.  The remaining naked eye planet, Saturn, can be identified by its pale yellow hue in the night sky.  In the year 2011, the celestial body will be traveling through the constellation of Virgo.  The planet is moving retrograde from the star Spica and towards the star Porrima.

2. Saturn Light

For ages, people have said that blood is thicker than water and talked about items lighter than air.  For Saturn, the truth is that the planet is less dense than water.  With a density of 0.687 grams/cubic centimeter, the planet could float on a pool of water.  The visual is incredible when one thinks about the fact that 764 planets the size of Earth, with a density of 5.52 grams/cubic centimeter, could fit inside Saturn. 

3. Saturn’s Sixty-two Sensational Satellites

In 1655, Giovanni Cassini, 17th century astronomer, discovered Titan, the largest of Saturn’s moons. Since that time, scientists have discover about 62 moons circling the planet.  While Jupiter holds the record for most satellites (63), Saturn’s moons are of particular interest because of their size, locations within and around the rings and their potential to sustain life. 

4. Close Encounters of the Spacecraft Kind

The Planet Saturn has been subject to study for centuries.  NASA, at times partnering with the international community,  has sent four space crafts to study the ringed wonder.  In 1979, Pioneer 11 traveled past the planet.   In 1980 and 1981, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 passed the gas giant.  In 2004, the Cassini orbiter, began circling the planet and providing detail information about the planets rings and its several moons.  In November 2010, through the Cassini mission, scientists discovered

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