Backlit
The Sun behind Saturn
The planet looks black, with a glowing edge, and the ice shines. This is the light in which Cassini saw the Earth: a blue dot.
What Saturn's rings are like
270,000+ kmfrom edge to edge (170,000+ miles)
~10 mthick across most of them (about 30 ft)
Icealmost all of it, water ice
10 h 33 mina day on Saturn
1.4 billionkm to the Sun (890 million miles)
From far away they look like a solid disk, but the rings are millions of chunks of ice circling Saturn, each in its own orbit. They range from grains smaller than sand to blocks several meters across, with a little rock dust.
They're huge and incredibly thin at the same time: more than 270,000 km from edge to edge and, across most of that, about ten meters thick. Seen from inside, the ring is a floor of ice that fades into the horizon, with Saturn rising on the other side.
Three kinds of light over the rings
In the app, the light over the rings changes with where the Sun is relative to Saturn: behind the planet, in front of it or hidden by it. Tap «Watch it live» and the demo above takes you there.
Sunlight
Saturn in full sun
The planet's sand-colored bands, and the chunks of ice casting their shadows. Titan, the largest moon, in the distance.
In shadow
Inside the shadow
Saturn blocks the Sun and its shadow falls across the rings. Everything sinks into half-light, and the stars come out.
Breathing among the rings
Sea of Tranquility is a guided breathing app with no voice: the landscape moves at a pace and you follow it. On Earth it's the wave; in the rings, the ice, rising and sinking with you, in silence. You choose how long and at what pace (Calm, Coherent, Box or 4-7-8), or switch to Sail to watch with no guide.
Apple TV
Saturn on the big screen
Free to download with Open sea and Beach; Mars and Saturn come with Pro, a one-time purchase, and you can try each destination for a minute first.
You download it from the TV: on your Apple TV, open the App Store and search for «Mar de Tranquilidad», the app's original name.
View on the App StoreIn your browser
Try it now
The web version works in any browser, phones included. You can try Saturn for a minute.
Open it on the webFAQ
What are Saturn's rings made of?
Almost entirely water ice, with a little rock dust. The pieces range from grains smaller than sand to chunks several meters across.
How big are Saturn's rings?
The main rings span more than 270,000 km (about 170,000 miles) from edge to edge, but across most of that they're only about ten meters (some 30 feet) thick.
What does Earth look like from Saturn?
Like a bluish point of light. The Cassini spacecraft photographed it that way in 2013, with Saturn blocking the Sun. In the app it appears when the rings are backlit.
Are these real photos of Saturn?
No. They're screenshots of Sea of Tranquility: a landscape generated live, inspired by what the rings are like. The real photos come from the spacecraft, such as Cassini.
Can I watch it on my TV?
Yes, in the Apple TV app. It's free to download from the App Store on your Apple TV; Saturn comes with Pro, a one-time purchase, and you can try it for a minute first.