Saturn is the second largest planet of the Solar System. On the basis of the distance from the Sun, this is the sixth planet. Its distance from the Sun is 1,427 million km. Its intense brightness is due to its bigger size. It keeps on revolving round the Sun and takes about 291 years to complete one revolution. It has seventeen moons revolving round it. It appears yellow in colour. It is 96 times heavier than the Earth, while its volume is 743.7 times more than that of the Earth.
Saturn is the most peculiar of all the planets. Its peculiarity lies in the rings surrounding it. These rings are not visible to the naked eyes but can be seen very clearly with the help of telescopes. In July, 1610 when Galileo studied it with the help of his telescope, he saw some unknown materials stuck to this planet on all sides. In 1655, a scientist named Christian Huygen discovered with the help of a powerful telescope that Saturn is surrounded by a ring which does not touch its main body at any point.
With the help of powerful telescopes, three rings are seen very clearly. In 1969 scientists discovered a fourth ring also. The four rings of Saturn are called A, B, C, and D rings. The total width of these rings is about 274,000 km. which is twice the diameter of Saturn. Scientists are of the view that these rings might have been formed by minute particles of dust and ice.
The outermost ring A which is somewhat brighter has its outer diameter to be 274,000 km. and its inner diameter to be 2, 38,400 km. Its width is about 16,000 km. The distance between A and B rings is 4,000 km. The B ring is the brightest. Its outer diameter is 2, 30,400 km, and the inner diameter is 1, 79,200 km. Its outer part is brighter than inner part. Its width is about 25,600 km. The distance between B and C rings is about 960 km. The C ring is not bright. Its outer diameter is 1, 77,600 km and whereas the inner diameter is 1, 43,920 km. The fourth is the D ring. This is very dim and hence it is difficult to locate its boundaries.
All these rings appear elliptical. From the earth, all these rings appear to be connected with each other. Of all the planets Saturn is the only planet which has such rings.