how far is saturn from earth?

Answer 1

It varies all the time, it is not a constant because the orbits are not in phase with one another. Saturn takes 29.45 earth years to do a single orbit of the sun. We take one.

What we can calculate though is the maximum and minimum distance they can be apart from one another, given neither orbit is a perfect circle and they are both ellipses. To do that we will need some data.

SATURN

Semi-major axis: 1,426,725,413 km (9.537 070 32 AU)
Perihelion: 1,349,467,375 km (9.020 632 24 AU)
Aphelion: 1,503,983,449 km (10.053 508 40 AU)

EARTH

Aphelion: 152,097,701 km (1.016 710 333 5 AU)
Perihelion: 147,098,074 km (0.983 289 891 2 AU)
Semi-major axis: 149,597,887.5 km (1.000 000 112 4 AU)

We can get an approximate idea by Ignoring aphelion and perihelion for the moment and assuming both orbits are circular and use the semi-major axis as the average distance of each planet from the Sun

Saturn is approx 9.5 AU from the Sun. This means that when Saturn and Earth are aligned and on the same side of the sun as one another the distance between then can be as low as 8.5 AU. But when Saturn is on the far side of the Sun from the Earth it becomes more like 10.5 AU,

Taking aphelion (farthest distance from the Sun) and perihelion (nearest distance to the Sun) into account however ,,,

We add the two aphelions for the maximum distance apart (11.069 AU) and we subtract Earth's aphelion from Saturn's perihelion for the minimum distance apart (8.004 AU).

Answer 2

Kepler's law T^2 = R^3, for all objects orbiting the same larger.

T is period in years, and R is the radius of the orbit.

So, Saturn has a period of 29 years. Now, Earth has a period of 1 year and a distance of 1 AU.

So, 29^2 = R^3

29^2 = 841.

Cube root of 841 is about 9. So Saturn is 9 AU from the Sun.

Now, we could be 8 AU from Saturn if we are at closest approach, or 10 if Saturn and Earth are in opposition. I'll use 9.

1 AU = 93 million miles. So 9 AU is 837 million miles.

Answer 3

today Saturn is 8.833 A.U. away from Earth. To get that distance in kilometers, multiply the A.U. distance by 149,600,000. To get that distance in miles, multiply the A.U. distance by 93,000,000. So Saturn is 1,321,416,800 kilometers from Earth (8.833x149,600,000) and 821,190,000 miles from Earth today.

This distance changes daily.
You can get the distances on various days at
--> http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Solar

Answer 4

today Saturn is 8.833 A.U. away from Earth but tomorrow?