What is the hottest temperature ever recorded on Saturn?

Question

I just wanna know what the hottest temperature on Saturn is because it's an interesting piece of knowledge and I can impress my friends. :) Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi Bob,

There are few data points on this subject.  And the "hottest temperature ever recorded" is only one data point out of the few that are available.  More people seem to be interested in the change in temperature over a time period than they are in the absolute numbers.

 

I did find something interesting from Space.com, though.  And this may be something that you can use to impress your friends:

 

The upper layer of Saturn is cold.  Very cold! And the temperature doesn't vary too much from equator to the poles.  It does vary as you "fall into" the planet, however, because most of the heat in Saturn comes from its own gravitational pressure, rather than energy from the Sun. 

Saturn contains three layers of clouds. The upper layers of ammonia ice have temperatures ranging from -280 F to -170 F. The next layer contains water ice, with temperatures from -127 F to +26 F. Temperatures in the lower layers climb as high as 134 F (57 C). Pressures in the lower region equal those found a few miles under Earth's ocean!

 

According to models of Saturn's composition, the core of the planet may be as hot as 21,000 F.

 

Hope you found this interesting!