Home Science Scientists Calculate New Rotation Period For Saturn

Scientists Calculate New Rotation Period For Saturn

When you purchase through our sponsored links, we may earn a commission. By using this website you agree to our T&Cs.

It’s not easy to gather data on Saturn because of the fact that the planet’s gaseous atmosphere is nearly impossible to penetrate, but scientists at an Israeli university appear to have solved that problem. According to their new data, Saturn’s period of one rotation is actually 6 minutes shorter than currently stated in physics textbooks, states the Empire State Tribune.

Saturn: Data from both Voyager and Cassini proved unreliable

While 6 minutes may not sound like a huge difference, it will certainly affect further scientific studies of Saturn, said Ravit Helled, a planetary scientist at Tel Aviv University in Israel. “We used to think that we knew the rotation period, considered a basic property of any planet,” she says.

The confusion arose thanks to conflicting data from the Voyager spacecraft, which flew past Saturn in the early 1980s, and the Cassini spacecraft which traveled there in 2004. The two spacecraft measured rotation periods of 10 hours and 39 minutes and 10 hours and 47 minutes respectively.

“Since then, there has been this big open question concerning Saturn’s rotation period,” said Helled. “In the last few years, there have been different theoretical attempts to pin down an answer.”

New result for rotation period

Now it appears that neither spacecraft accurately recorded the rotation period. Helled’s latest work produced a figure of 10 hours and 33 minutes using Saturn’s magnetic field to calculate its spin rate.

The reason that the difference is important is that it implies that the atmosphere at Saturn’s equator is spinning faster than the data gathered by the Voyager spacecraft would suggest.

“The rotation period of a giant planet is a fundamental physical property, and its value affects many aspects of the physics of these planets, including their interior structure and atmospheric dynamics,” Helled says.

The fact that neither Voyager nor Cassini were able to accurately measure the rotation period of Saturn goes to show the difficulty of taking measurements from the gas giant, but it seems that Helled and her team have reached a viable answer to the mystery.

Our Editorial Standards

At ValueWalk, we’re committed to providing accurate, research-backed information. Our editors go above and beyond to ensure our content is trustworthy and transparent.

Brendan Byrne
Editor
Business

Chinese Stocks Jump on Promise of “Moderately Loose” Monetary Policy

David Moadel22 hours

The newly-announced measures mark a significant tonal shift in Chinese monetary policy Shares of Alibaba (NYSE:BABA), JD.com (NASDAQ:JD), Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU), and other Chinese stocks rallied sharply Monday morning after the Chinese government announced stimulus measures to...

Want Financial Guidance Sent Straight to You?

  • Pop your email in the box, and you'll receive bi-weekly emails from ValueWalk.
  • We never send spam — only the latest financial news and guides to help you take charge of your financial future.