The planet Saturn is one of the 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. Saturn's atmosphere is a phenomenon that has been the subject of controversy among scientists for many years. But today it is reliably established that it is gases that form the basis of the entire air body, which does not have a solid surface.
History of the great discovery
For a long time, scientists believed that our system is closed precisely by this huge planet, and there is nothing beyond its orbit. They have been studying it 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 the Earth, Venus or Mars: it does not even have a surface and consists entirely of gases heated to unimaginable temperatures. The presence of Saturn's atmosphere was confirmed only in the 20th century. Moreover, only modern scientists have been able to conclude thatthe planet is a gas ball.
It was explored by the Voyager 1 satellite, which was able to release a probe into the outer layers of the atmosphere. Images were obtained that indicated the content of mainly hydrogen in the clouds of Saturn, as well as many other gases. Since then, research has been conducted only on the basis of theories and calculations. And here it is fair to note that Saturn is one of the most mysterious and unknown planets up to the present moment.
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 parameters corresponding to it. With gas balloons, things are quite different. The atmosphere of Saturn is the basis of itself. Endless gas vapors, mists and clouds gather in incredible numbers and form a ball shape due to the magnetic field of the core.
The basis of the planet's atmosphere is hydrogen: it is over 96 percent. Other gases are present as impurities, the proportions of which depend on depth. It is worth noting 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 is 96.3 percent molecular hydrogen, 3 percent helium. These main gases are mixed with components such as phosphine, ammonia,methane and ethane. Strong surface winds occur here, the speed of which reaches 500 m / s. As for the lower layer of the atmosphere, metallic hydrogen predominates here - about 91 percent, as well as helium. This environment contains clouds of ammonium hydrosulfide. The lower atmospheric layer is always heated to the limit. As we approach the core, the temperature reaches thousands of Kelvins, because it is not yet possible to explore the planet with probes made in terrestrial conditions.
Atmospheric phenomena
The most common phenomena on this planet are winds and hurricanes. Most streams blow from west to east with respect to axial rotation. There is a slight lull in the equatorial region, and as we move away from it, westerly streams appear. There are also places on Saturn where certain weather phenomena occur with constant frequency. 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 all riddled with lightning. Discharges occur mainly in mid-latitudes, between the equator and the poles. As for the latter, here the main phenomenon is the aurora. Stronger flashes occur in the north, as the magnetic field is stronger there than in the south. Radiance appears in the form of oval rings or spirals.
Pressure and temperature
As it turns out, Saturn's atmosphere makes thisthe planet is quite cool compared to Jupiter, but certainly not as icy as Uranus and Neptune. In the upper layers, the temperature is about -178 degrees Celsius, taking into account constant winds and hurricanes. The closer we move to the core, the more the pressure increases, hence 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 planet's core, 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 that of Jupiter, and 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 levels, and the temperature remains cool (by astronomical standards).
