Saturn

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/saturn

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the orbital distance?9.59 AU (1,434 million km) from the Sun
2. What is the orbital period?29.45 Earth years
3. What makes Saturn's rings so special?Saturn's rings are made of ice and rock particles that shine bright. They are not solid, but many tiny pieces orbiting together, making a beautiful display.
4. Why is Saturn lighter than water even though it's so big?Inside Saturn, most of the mass is gas and a small rocky core. The gas is spread out, so the planet's average density is less than water, so it could float if it were in a big bathtub.

Metallic Hydrogen: A state of hydrogen under extreme pressure where it behaves like a metal and conducts electricity.
Magnetosphere: The region surrounding a planet dominated by its magnetic field, protecting it from charged particles.
Astronomical Unit (AU): A standard unit of distance in astronomy, equal to the mean distance between the Earth and the Sun.