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Jupiter vs Saturn

The two gas giants of the outer solar system — both spectacular through a telescope, very different up close.

Jupiter Saturn
Equatorial radius 69,911 km 58,232 km
Mass 1.898 × 10²⁷ kg (318 Earth) 5.683 × 10²⁶ kg (95 Earth)
Mean density 1.33 g/cm³ 0.69 g/cm³ (would float in water)
Day length 9 h 56 min 10 h 33 min
Year length 11.86 Earth years 29.46 Earth years
Confirmed moons 95 146 (most of any planet)
Largest moon Ganymede (5,268 km — larger than Mercury) Titan (5,150 km — has nitrogen atmosphere)
Ring system Faint, mostly dust Bright, complex, ~280,000 km across
Visible features Cloud belts, Great Red Spot Rings, Cassini division, hexagonal pole storm
Magnetic field strength 14× Earth's ~1× Earth's

Verdict

Jupiter is by far the more massive and dynamic — its magnetosphere alone would appear larger than the full Moon if visible. Saturn wins the visual prize through any telescope: the rings are the most spectacular sight in amateur astronomy.