Who named the planet Saturn?

Saturn was also the Roman god of time and this is perhaps why the slowest (in orbit around the Sun) of the five bright planets was named after him. In Roman mythology, Saturn was the father of Jupiter. Saturday is also named after the Roman god Saturn (Saturn's Day). read more

Since the planet was named after Cronus, lord of the Titans in Greek mythology, most of Saturn's moons are named after other Titans, their descendants, as well as after giants from Gallic, Inuit and Norse myths. read more

Sumerian astronomers observed Saturn in the 4th century BC and named it Enlil. When Sumer fell and gave way to Babylon in the 2nd century BC, Enlil was renamed Ninurta. Before the Romans came to power, the ancient Greeks called this planet Kronos after the father of Zeus. read more