Saturn’s Mysterious Clouds Captured in NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
Storms are a frequent happening on Earth, typically appearing in spiral or circular forms. However, the hexagonal shape is a phenomenon exclusive to Saturn. The North Pole of Saturn displays a distinct and captivating cloud pattern in the shape of a hexagon, making it a unique occurrence in our solar system.
NASA’s Astronomy Day photo on June 18 is the Hexagonal Clouds over Saturn! The formation of the hexagon in Saturn’s clouds is a fascinating mystery. This peculiar phenomenon was first observed during the Voyager flights in the 1980s, and to this day it is unique in our solar system – an enduring mystery.
NASA Astronomy Photo of the Day explained
In late 2012, the Cassini spacecraft captured a sunlit perspective of Saturn’s northern region. Cassini recorded a remarkably false-colored image of the ringed planet’s north pole with its wide-angle camera. By combining near-infrared image data, the composite image shows low clouds in shades of red and high clouds in shades of green, resulting in a vivid and striking cloud-filled landscape of Saturn.
“The hexagon is just an air current, and weather features that resemble this are notoriously stormy and unstable. A hurricane usually lasts a week, but it’s been here for decades — and who knows — maybe centuries,” Andrew Ingersoll, of the Cassini Imaging Team, said.
Observations of Saturn’s north pole reveal a remarkable sight, as the cloud formation maintains its distinct hexagonal shape even as it rotates. Unlike the random hexagon-like cloud formations on Earth, Saturn’s cloud pattern has six well-defined sides, each of nearly equal length. How big is it? NASA reveals the fact that Saturn’s hexagon is so large that four Earths can fit within its borders!
About NASA’s Cassini spacecraft
Cassini, a highly advanced robotic spacecraft, was a collaborative project between NASA, ESA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). Its primary mission was to thoroughly study Saturn, including its rings and moons, and provide information on their composition and behavior. Launched on October 15, 1997, the spacecraft embarked on a remarkable journey spanning more than two decades. However, after its extensive mission, Cassini’s grand finale was on September 15, 2017.
