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Composition of Saturn Saturn as mentioned before is what we call a gas giant, composing of mostly hydrogen (H) 88%*, Helium (He) 11%* with trace elements of water, methane and ammonia. Its outer layers are that of gas, however as you move towards the centre the gas becomes denser eventually forming a metallic mantle of hydrogen and helium. This metallic structure is a good electrical conductor and the electrical currents formed possibly by fast moving molecules creates electrical currents which are possibly responsible for the planets magnetic field. Note: * % content differ from different sources.
The core may contain heavier elements and its structure is icy and rocky. What is interesting is that both Saturn and Jupiter are still evolving, they are still settling in gravitational terms. This means they are contracting which in turn created internal heat. Saturn radiates 3 times more heat than it receives from the sun.
history? And is it possible they will become smaller and denser in their future? Saturn has some of the fastest winds in the solar system; storm clouds on the equator have rotated around the planet in just over 10 hrs giving wind velocities of 1700 Km/h
Could it be possible the gas giants were a lot bigger in their early www.astronomy-wise.com