1. Cassini Celebration LASP, University of Colorado 30 June 2004

3. Saturn - the Big Picture Nick Schneider, LASP/APS What is Saturn like? Why is Saturn so different from Earth? Why so many moons, and why so interesting? Why does Saturn have rings?

4. Saturn Giant and gaseous like Jupiter most spectacular rings of the 4 jovian planets many moons, including cloud-covered Titan

5. Jovian Planets - A Different Kind of Planet Bigger & more massive Lower density, different composition Rings Numerous moons

6. Terrestrial planets are small, rocky, and close to the Sun. Jovian planets are large, gas-rich, and far from the Sun.

8. Inside Saturn…

9. What’s it like inside Saturn?

11. Why is Saturn so different from Earth?

12. Our solar system started as a cloud like this…

13. The cloud of gas that gave birth to our solar system resulted from the recycling of gas through many generations of stars within our galaxy.

14. A collapsing cloud forms the solar system…

15. Why are there two types of planet, when all planets formed from the same nebula?

16. Inside the frost line: too hot for hydrogen compounds to form ices. Outside the frost line: cold enough for ices to form. Fig 9.5

17. Jovian planets create their own swirling clouds…

18. Why is Saturn different from Earth? Outer planets get bigger because abundant hydrogen compounds condense to form ICES. Outer planets accrete and keep abundant hydrogen & helium gas gas because they’re bigger.

19. Why so many moons, … and why so interesting?

20. Saturn’s moons - 31 and counting

21. What kind of moons orbit the jovian planets? Lots of moons mostly formed at the same time as their planets from the swirling cloud surrounding Saturn. Small moons are mostly captured asteroids and comets.

22. One small moon…

23. What makes Titan different from other moons? only moon with a thick atmosphere may also have surface lakes of methane and ethane ‘organic goop’ is ‘the stuff of life’ -Cassini movie-

24. Titan’s smoggy atmosphere 90% nitrogen, plus argon, methane, ethane, other hydrogen compounds. Methane & ethane are greenhouse gases. Still cold: 93 K (-180 degrees C)

25. Why does Saturn have rings?

27. Spacecraft view

28. Rings are NOT solid; they are made of countless small chunks of ice and rock, each orbiting like a tiny moon. Artist’s conception

30. Saturn - the Big Picture Nick Schneider, LASP/APS What is Saturn like? Why is Saturn so different from Earth? Why so many moons, and why so interesting? Why does Saturn have rings?

31. Got the Saturn Bug? http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov - Cassini Mission web sitehttp://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov http://ciclops.org - Imaging Team web sitehttp://ciclops.org http://boulderastro.org/ Boulder Astronomy & Space Societyhttp://boulderastro.org/ http://longmontastro.org/ Longmont Astronomical Societyhttp://longmontastro.org/ Friday Night Open House at Sommers Bausch Observatory Planetary Science classes at CU!