At Saturn’s cloud tops, you would weigh 106% of your weight on Earth. Multiply your Earth weight by 1.06: a 70 kg person would read 74.5 kg, and a 154 lb person 164 lb. That is 6.4% heavier than on Earth. Your mass does not change; only the pull on it does.
The surface gravity is 10.4 m/s² against 9.81 m/s² on Earth. It is measured at the 1-bar level, because there is no solid surface to measure from. Weight is mass times local gravity, W = m × g, so the scale reading is your Earth reading times 1.06.
Weight at Saturn’s cloud tops by Earth weight
Each row is a person’s Earth weight and what the same person reads at Saturn’s cloud tops. The pounds column converts the kilograms (1 kg = 2.20462 lb); the ratio 1.064 is the same for any unit.
| On Earth | At Saturn’s cloud tops (kg) | At Saturn’s cloud tops (lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 kg (88.2 lb) | 42.6 kg | 93.8 lb |
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 53.2 kg | 117 lb |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 63.9 kg | 141 lb |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 74.5 kg | 164 lb |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 85.1 kg | 188 lb |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 95.8 kg | 211 lb |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 106 kg | 235 lb |
Calculated as weight × 10.4 ÷ 9.81. A bathroom scale calibrated on Earth would show these values.
Why gravity is 10.4 m/s² at Saturn’s cloud tops
Surface gravity follows from the body’s mass M and its radius R: g = G M ÷ R². The simulation uses a radius of 60,270 km at the 1-bar level, which with g = 10.4 m/s² corresponds to a mass of 95.1 Earth masses.
Saturn has about 95.1 times Earth’s mass and yet its cloud tops pull only 106% as hard as the ground under you. It is the least dense planet, at about 0.69 g/cm³, less than water, and its mass is spread through a huge volume with the bulk of it a long way from the centre.
You would float on Saturn if you could find a big enough ocean, but there is no surface to stand on: this is the 1-bar level in a hydrogen and helium atmosphere. The rings are not a surface either; they are mostly water ice orbiting in a thin sheet.
A jump and a fall at Saturn’s cloud tops
Gravity sets more than weight. The take-off speed that lifts you 50 cm on Earth would raise you 47 cm at Saturn’s cloud tops, in a jump lasting 0.6 s against 0.639 s on Earth. A ball dropped from 2 m takes 0.619 s to land, compared with 0.639 s on Earth.
Escape speed, the speed at which you leave for good, is 35.5 km/s, against 11.2 km/s for Earth. It does not depend on your mass.
Compare with other worlds
For a 70 kg person, here is the pull and the scale reading on each body in the simulation. Select one to get its own page.
| Body | Gravity | A 70 kg person reads |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury | 3.7 m/s² | 26.4 kg |
| Venus | 8.87 m/s² | 63.3 kg |
| The Moon | 1.62 m/s² | 11.6 kg |
| Mars | 3.71 m/s² | 26.5 kg |
| Jupiter | 24.8 m/s² | 177 kg |
| Saturn | 10.4 m/s² | 74.5 kg |
| Uranus | 8.87 m/s² | 63.3 kg |
| Neptune | 11.2 m/s² | 79.6 kg |
| Pluto | 0.62 m/s² | 4.42 kg |
| The Sun | 274 m/s² | 1,960 kg |
| Neutron star | 1.3×10¹² m/s² | 9.2 trillion kg |
This page is one case from the full guide, Weight on other planets, which covers every case, the assumptions behind the model and what it leaves out.
Other cases
- Mercury 70 kg reads 26.4 kg
- Venus 70 kg reads 63.3 kg
- The Moon 70 kg reads 11.6 kg
- Mars 70 kg reads 26.5 kg
- Jupiter 70 kg reads 177 kg
- Uranus 70 kg reads 63.3 kg
- Neptune 70 kg reads 79.6 kg
- Pluto 70 kg reads 4.42 kg
- The Sun 70 kg reads 1,960 kg
- Neutron star 70 kg reads 9.2 trillion kg
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 70 kg person weigh at Saturn’s cloud tops?
74.5 kg (164 lb). The ratio to Earth is 1.06, from g = 10.4 m/s² against 9.81 m/s².
Does my mass change at Saturn’s cloud tops?
No. Mass is the amount of matter in you and stays the same everywhere. Weight is the force gravity puts on that mass, so it is the weight that changes, to 106% of its Earth value.
How do I work out my weight at Saturn’s cloud tops?
Multiply your Earth weight by 1.06. In kilograms or pounds the answer comes out in the same unit, because the ratio has no unit.
Could anyone stand at Saturn’s cloud tops?
No. There is no solid surface: the gravity figure is taken at the 1-bar level, so it describes the pull at the cloud tops, not a place to stand.
Part of the learning path Gravity and motion, from a thrown ball to a planet.
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