The Last Frontier: Saturn

Saturn. A non-terrestrial planet... gas giant... but what is Saturn? Let's take a closer look:

SATURN'S PAST:
GREEK MYTHS:
Saturn is the Roman version of the Greek Titan Cronus. Cronus, son of Uranus and Earth, killed his father with a scythe. A scythe is a cutting tool for harvesting, often associated with Father Time, who is based on Cronus.

Uranus warned Cronus that one of his children would do the same to him. Because of this warning, Cronus had an appetite for his children, swallowing them alive. Eventually, the warning came true, and his son, Jupiter (Zeus) killed Cronus for swallowing his brothers and sisters.

MISSIONS:
There have only been three NASA missions to Saturn so far, with one on the way: Pioneer 11, Voyager 1 and 2, and Cassini. The first three were sent in the 1970's, although only Pioneer 11 reached Saturn before 1980. Cassini was launched October 15, 1997, and will reach Saturn in 2004.

SATURN FACTS:
RINGS:
Saturn's rings are probably the most well-known part of the planet. The rings are made up of mostly rock and ice -- the sun reflecting off the ice gives it that "sprinkler" or "rainbow" effect, giving the rings that beautiful rainbow pattern.

SATURN'S MOONS:
Saturn has many, MANY moons. 18 to be exact. Not much is known about these moons (or not that I can find from this site). Most of the moons are named after Greek mythological gods, goddesses, and people.

SATURN'S OTHER INFO:
Saturn has an atmosphere made almost completely of sulfuric clouds, fog, and intensely strong winds, similar to Jupiter. Once again, I leave you with just a few pictures of Saturn.

Photos courtesy of www.windows.umich.edu

As usual, if you have any questions, please feel free to Y-mail me @ Etrnl *.

Thanx, Etrnl *

Also, thanx to the Times Editor, and all of you people working for him and for the Times: You've been a great help! Thanx for letting me use this space as a "space" voyage into every single planet. You deserve credit, and always will.