Samuel Chiltern answered
There are no landforms on Saturn. This planet is known as a gas giant because it's predominantly composed of hydrogen and helium.
However, it does still have a fascinating outer surface, which I'll explain a little bit more about.
The Chemical Composition of Saturn
These constituent chemicals exist as gases in the atmosphere, and liquids on the 'surface', where they are compressed by the weight of the atmosphere and the force of gravity.
As you move closer to the centre, liquid hydrogen is compressed further, and turns into metallic hydrogen, which is extremely dense.
Nobody knows for sure, but it's believed that the very core of Saturn is composed of rock made up of the heavier elements in its composition, with a temperature of approximately 15,000 degrees Celsius.
Whenever you look at an image of Saturn, the only thing you'll be able to make out are its distinctive rings and the outer surface of its atmosphere. The atmosphere is so dense, that even if it had a rocky surface, you still wouldn't be able to see it.
Unlike Jupiter, the atmosphere appears relatively plain, and doesn't seem to be quite as turbulent as that of Saturn's larger relative. This is simply because the planet is cooler than its larger sibling, so the ammonia in its atmosphere crystallises at the outer surface, making it difficult to see the storms that rage below.
When sunlight first hits the northern hemisphere of the planet, once every 30 years or so, massive storms can be seen, which disrupt even the outer ammonia cloud and can be seen to skirt the entire diameter of the planet.
However, it does still have a fascinating outer surface, which I'll explain a little bit more about.
The Chemical Composition of Saturn
These constituent chemicals exist as gases in the atmosphere, and liquids on the 'surface', where they are compressed by the weight of the atmosphere and the force of gravity.
As you move closer to the centre, liquid hydrogen is compressed further, and turns into metallic hydrogen, which is extremely dense.
Nobody knows for sure, but it's believed that the very core of Saturn is composed of rock made up of the heavier elements in its composition, with a temperature of approximately 15,000 degrees Celsius.
Whenever you look at an image of Saturn, the only thing you'll be able to make out are its distinctive rings and the outer surface of its atmosphere. The atmosphere is so dense, that even if it had a rocky surface, you still wouldn't be able to see it.
Unlike Jupiter, the atmosphere appears relatively plain, and doesn't seem to be quite as turbulent as that of Saturn's larger relative. This is simply because the planet is cooler than its larger sibling, so the ammonia in its atmosphere crystallises at the outer surface, making it difficult to see the storms that rage below.
When sunlight first hits the northern hemisphere of the planet, once every 30 years or so, massive storms can be seen, which disrupt even the outer ammonia cloud and can be seen to skirt the entire diameter of the planet.
