Why does Saturn appear as an oblate spheroid?
Saturn is a gas giant composed predominantly of hydrogen and helium. It lacks a definite surface though it may have a solid core. Saturn's rotation causes it to have the shape of an oblate spheroid that is it is flattened at the poles and bulges at its equator.
Why does Saturn radiate even more energy than Jupiter?
Why does Saturn radiate even more excess energy than Jupiter? Helium rain gives off heat as it differentiates toward Saturn's center. A typical ring particle is about the size of a snowball. What are Saturn's rings?
How do Jupiter’s rings differ from those of Saturn?
Saturn's rings are mostly made of ice. Jupiter's rings are different – they are very dark and difficult to see. They are made up of small bits of dust. The Galileo spacecraft helped us discover where that dust comes from.
What do you observe about the cloud belts when comparing Jupiter and Saturn Why do the planets belts look different?
Explain your answer. In Jupiter's atmosphere, belts are the darker bands and are lower and warmer than the brighterzones. The belts and zones of Saturn are similar, but appear washed out because of the loweratmospheric temperature and weaker surface gravity (see Figure 12-9b).
Why is Saturn oblate?
Saturn is a gas giant composed predominantly of hydrogen and helium. It lacks a definite surface, though it is likely to have a solid core. Saturn's rotation causes it to have the shape of an oblate spheroid; that is, it is flattened at the poles and bulges at its equator.
Which planet is the most oblate?
Saturn is the most oblate planet in the solar system.
Why is Saturn more oblate than Jupiter quizlet?
Because it is less dense than Jupiter, Saturn is more oblate than Jupiter, even though it rotates slightly more slowly.
Why does Saturn have rings but not Jupiter?
The simplest answer as to why Saturn has rings and what they are made of is that the planet has accumulated a great deal of dust, particles, and ice at varying distances from its surface. These items are most likely trapped by gravity.
What are the properties of Uranus ring system how do they compare to Saturn and Jupiter?
Uranus also has rings, and the images that reveal its rings emphasize how tilted this planet is compared to Saturn. The images show that the rings appear vertical, while those in Saturn are horizontal. Like Jupiter, the particles in the rings of Uranus are smaller than those in Saturn's rings.
Why are the belts and zones on Saturn harder to see than those on Jupiter?
The manifestation of Saturn's lower density in the topmost regions of its atmosphere is a larger spacing between cloud layers relative to Jupiter. This is why it is harder to see deep into Saturn's upper atmosphere and it appears more washed out than Jupiter.
What does it mean when a planet is oblate select all that apply?
What does it mean when a planet is "oblate?" Its equatorial diameter is larger than its polar axis and it bulges around the equator.
How does Saturn rotate?
Orbit and Rotation One day on Saturn takes only 10.7 hours (the time it takes for Saturn to rotate or spin around once), and Saturn makes a complete orbit around the Sun (a year in Saturnian time) in about 29.4 Earth years (10,756 Earth days).
Which planet is the least oblate?
This means that it is the least spherical; its equatorial diameter is larger than its polar diameter. This occurs because of its rapid rotational period: Saturn (which is about 9.5 times larger than Earth) rotates more than twice as fast as the Earth. The most spectacular feature of Saturn is the ring system.
Why is Saturn so oblate?
Even though Saturn rotates slightly slower than Jupiter, it is more oblate because its rotational acceleration cancels a larger fraction of the planet's gravity at the equator. The equatorial gravity of the planet, 896 cm (29.4 feet) per second per second, is only 74 percent of its polar gravity.
Why does Jupiter have an oblate shape?
This elongated oblate shape is caused by Jupiter's rapid spin. The outward force of rotation opposes the inward gravitational force, and this reduces the pull of gravity in the direction of spin.
How do the differences in the interiors of Saturn and Jupiter affect the planets magnetic fields?
Jupiter has a larger metallic hydrogen core than Saturn, and the larger this region is the stronger a magnetic field can be. Because of the two planets' similar rotation periods, the difference in the magnetic fields must come from the differential core sizes.
Does Jupiter rain diamonds?
But in the dense atmospheres of planets like Jupiter and Saturn, whose massive size generates enormous amounts of gravity, crazy amounts of pressure and heat can squeeze carbon in mid-air — and make it rain diamonds.
Why is Saturn so creepy?
1:402:58This Is What Saturn Sounds Like (Really Creepy!) 4K UHD – YouTubeYouTube
Why is Jupiter denser than Saturn Why is Jupiter denser than Saturn?
Jupiter is denser than Saturn because it 3 times more massive. Gravity makes it denser. Jovian planets are not quite spherical because of their rapid rotation. The layers are different for the different planets.
Does Uranus rain diamonds?
Take the conundrum, for example, of how the chemical reactions inside of Neptune and Uranus may cause diamonds to rain down on the planets' cores. Under immense pressure deep below the planets' surfaces, carbon and hydrogen atoms are smushed together, forming the crystals.
Why does Saturn have a much lower density than Jupiter?
Uranus and Neptune are mostly ice, and Saturn is mostly gas, so it's less dense. Above Saturn's mass, the gravity of the planet tends to increase its density, so Jupiter is more dense than Saturn. Planets more massive than Jupiter don't get much larger than Jupiter; they just get more dense.
Why is Jupiter more oblate than the Earth?
Why is Jupiter more oblate than Earth? Because its outer layers are not solid.
In which way does Saturn different from Jupiter?
In which way does Saturn differ from Jupiter? Saturn has a smaller zone of liquid metallic hydrogen.
How does Saturn revolve and rotate?
Orbit and Rotation Saturn has the second-shortest day in the solar system. One day on Saturn takes only 10.7 hours (the time it takes for Saturn to rotate or spin around once), and Saturn makes a complete orbit around the Sun (a year in Saturnian time) in about 29.4 Earth years (10,756 Earth days).
Does it rain diamonds on Saturn?
About 10 million tons of diamond rain down on Saturn each year. The new molecule is relatively heavy, and when attracted by the planet's gravity, begins to be drawn downwards.
What planet has a 96% carbon dioxide?
Venus Venus has the most massive atmosphere of the terrestrial planets, which include Mercury, Earth, and Mars. Its gaseous envelope is composed of more than 96 percent carbon dioxide and 3.5 percent molecular nitrogen.
Is Saturn oblate?
Its oblate shape is apparent even in a small telescope. Even though Saturn rotates slightly slower than Jupiter, it is more oblate because its rotational acceleration cancels a larger fraction of the planet's gravity at the equator.
What does it mean when a planet is oblate?
What does it mean when a planet is "oblate?" Its equatorial diameter is larger than its polar axis and it bulges around the equator.
What is diamond rain?
The long chains then squeeze together to form crystalline patterns like diamonds. The dense diamond formations then drop through the layers of the mantle until it gets too hot, where they vaporize and float back up and repeat the cycle — hence the term "diamond rain."
What does it rain on Pluto?
But, conditions on distant planets in our solar system remain a mystery. Although most scientists believe it doesn't rain on Pluto, this far-away dwarf planet experiences its own unique weather patterns, including snowfall and seasonal temperature changes.