Saturn Timeline of Events

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Saturn

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn, along with Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune, is a gas giant...

Timeline of Events

1655

3.25.1655

Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christiaan Huygens.

1966

12.18.1966

Saturn's moon Epimetheus is discovered by Richard L. Walker.

1979

9.1.1979

The American space probe ''Pioneer 11'' becomes the first spacecraft to visit Saturn when it passes the planet at a distance of 21,000 km.

1980

11.12.1980

The NASA space probe ''Voyager I'' makes its closest approach to Saturn and takes the first images of its rings.

1981

8.25.1981

Voyager 2 spacecraft makes its closest approach to Saturn

1990

9.24.1990

Periodic Great White Spot is observed on Saturn.

1997

10.15.1997

The Cassini probe launches from Cape Canaveral on its way to Saturn.

2004

6.11.2004

Cassini-Huygens makes its closest flyby of the Saturn moon Phoebe.

7.1.2004

Saturn orbit insertion of Cassini-Huygens begins at 01:12 UTC and ends at 02:48 UTC.

12.25.2004

Cassini orbiter releases Huygens probe which successfully landed on Saturn's moon Titan on January 14, 2005.

2005

1.14.2005

Landing of the ''Huygens'' probe on Saturn's moon Titan.