Ruth Patrick Science Education Center Observatory
Our Solar System Series - Saturn
The RPSEC Saturn cache is part of the solar system cache
series centered at the University of South Carolina Aiken. In this solar
system model, the 5-meter (16.4-feet) dome of the Ruth Patrick Science
Education Center (RPSEC) Observatory represents the diameter of the Sun
known as Sol. To observe the scale, look for the man-hole cover near GZ. Saturn is a little smaller than the man-hole cover, but the rings extend beyond the man-hole cover. Compare that to the size and distance to the RPSEC observatory. It is at a bearing of 105 degrees. Or, standing at the cache and looking toward the manhole cover, the RPSEC observatory is to the right. Look for the large white building, which is the USCA Convocation Center. The observatory is a small, silver object to the left of that.
Hide: It is a busy area, so it would be good to find the cache quickly. It is at the base of the sign on the backside. It is in the middle and covered well with mulch so as not to be visible. Please rehide the same way.
Comment in your log about the scale of this model. Compare the size of Saturn (man-hole cover) to the size and distance to the observatory.
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun. It has been known since antiquity and named by the Greeks as one of the five asteres planetai
or "wandering stars." Today, we know that it is one of the five planets
orbiting the Sun that are visible to people on Earth with unaided
vision. These wanderers or planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and
Saturn.
Saturn Facts:
- One of the Gas Giant Planets that include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune.
- Saturn is most known for its rings, but all of the gas giants have rings.
- Saturn is the least dense planet and would float on water, if there was an ocean large enough.
- Distance from Sun: Average = 886 million mi. (1.43 billion km.)
- Diameter = 72,367 mi. (116,464 km.). Ring Diameter ± 175,000 mi. (282,000 km.)
- Length of year = 29.46 Earth years
- Length of day = 10 hours 39 minutes Earth time.
| Saturn Distances with Sun Diameter = 5 m. |
Planet
Diam cm |
Planet
Diam in |
Rings
Diam cm |
Rings
Diam in |
Orbit km |
Orbit mi |
Orbit m |
Orbit ft |
41.86
|
16.48 |
101.4 |
39.91 |
5.13
|
3.19 |
5,128 |
16,825 |
Be sure to obtain the code from the cache container in order to find the final Sun cache location.
All First Day Finders (FDF) receive a prize of two complementary planetarium tickets and a FDF Award Card. Visit http://rpsec.usca.edu/planetarium/ for schedule information.
Congratulations to EarlyBigBird, and objuan who sought and were FTF Saturn!
Many Thanks to personnel at Sage Creek for granting permission for this cache. The people living in nearby homes do not know about the cache, so use appropriate precautions. If you encounter any concerned patrons, please contact the cache owner (CO).
RPSEC Solar System Series: