Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system
and the sixth planet counting outward from the Sun and the third outermost.
It is known for having a ring system: flat, visible rings of material
around it, within the plane of its equator. (Similar but lesser
ring systems have been detected around other solar system planets
now that space probes have viewed them from nearby. )
To some extent, Saturn's ring system has served as a
physical example of an astrophysical disk, being close enough for
detailed study. Among Saturn's 270+ known moons are Titan,
Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Iapetus, and
Hyperion.
Characteristics of Saturn:
Space missions to Saturn have included
Pioneer,
Voyager,
and Cassini.
Its distance from Earth limits the number of such missions.
The Cassini mission was long and extensive and vastly increased our
knowledge about Saturn and its moons, and revealed Enceladus
to be a prime candidate for extraterrestrial life.
Concepts developed for possible future Saturn-system missions include
Dragonfly, Enceladus Life Finder, and Enceladus Orbilander.