Science Project on “Studying Saturn’s Rings”, Project Experiment Topics on Outer Space for Class 8, 9, 10 and 12 Students.

Studying Saturn’s Rings

Materials Required:

1. Softball
2. Adhesive tape
3. Crayons or marking pens
4. Stiff paper
5. Modelling clay
6. A large room
7. Basketballs
8. Ball of string
9. Paper-towel
10. Tubes
11. Magnetic compass
12. Five chairs
13. Clocks
14. A friend
15. Protractor

While there is many planets which have rings around them, the most popular ones are obviously those of Saturn.

These rings are more or less made up of infinite ice-crystals and ice-covered particles. The sizes of these structures vary greatly.

Saturn is tilted on its axis at about 28 degrees and its revolution happens in about 30 earth years.

We are able to see Saturn from different angles, as the planets orbit around the sun.

When the rings are edge on sometimes, we can only see thin lines extending from both sides of the planet.

To demonstrate the view of Saturn’s rings from the earth, you should try this project.

Take a softball to represent Saturn. From some stiff paper, cut out a wide ring to fit around the ball.

 Colour the ring, making bright and different colours rings going around it. Tape the rings in position.

You can make the ball stand, with the help of modelling clay. Now outside a large room, place a basketball, which will represent the sun at the center.

Now take two strings of 31 feet and 63 feet long. Spread the strings around the basketball and make two string circles.

While the larger circle will represent Saturn’s orbit around the sun, the smaller, inner circle will represent the earth’s orbit.

Now take out the basketball and place a clock there. With the help of dominos, mark 12 spots around the sun’s orbit. Now pass a piece of string around the clock.

You should make 6 such movements by passing the string over the centre of the clock. Along the inner string, place four chairs. These chairs should be placed at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock respectively.

This represents the four seasons of the earth. Now you should place a chair at the 12 o’clock position on Saturn’s orbit. Put a cardboard box on the chair and place your Saturn on it. Now sit at the 12 o’ clock chair on the earth’s orbit and see how Saturn looks. If it is not at eye-level use a smaller box.

With the help of adhesive tape, place a small magnetic compass on the top of the cardboard box, under your Saturn.

Where it points to the north, mark the point with a crayon.

As you rotate Saturn round the room in the circle, make sure that you always point to the line.

With Saturn at 12 o’clock position, sit in all the chairs on the earth’s orbit and see how Saturn looks from the earth for 2.5 years.

Continue this process for 12 Saturn positions and you will be able to make out how Saturn looks from Earth for thirty years.