Does Saturn Have a Solid Core?
Written by Fraser Cain
Saturn is composed of 96% hydrogen and 3% helium, with the remaining 1% a collection of ices, other elements and metals. The question is, does Saturn have a solid core deep down below the gas? Could you walk on the surface of Saturn?
You definitely couldn't walk on the surface of Saturn. What we see from Earth is just wispy clouds of ammonia and perhaps water vapor. Below this is just hydrogen with trace amounts of helium. You would sink right down. And as you got deeper into the planet, the temperatures and pressures rise to the point that you would be crushed.
But deep down, at the very center of the planet, astronomers think there is a relatively small rocky core that contains all the heavier elements that were present during the formation of the planet. Surrounding this core is an outer core of ammonia, water and methane. Around this is highly compressed, liquid metallic hydrogen, and around that is a mixture of hydrogen and helium in a liquid, syrupy form.
There's no part of Saturn that you'd be able to get out and walk on, but the planet probably does have a tiny solid core.
Here's an article about the core accretion theory of planetary formation, and how Saturn and Jupiter might have formed differently.
NASA's World Book on Saturn has some information about this, and here's some research about how Saturn and Jupiter might have formed around their solid cores.
We have recorded two episodes of Astronomy Cast just about Saturn. The first is Episode 59: Saturn, and the second is Episode 61: Saturn's Moons.
Filed under: Astronomy
