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Saturn's hexagon is a persistent approximately hexagonal cloud pattern around the north pole of the planet Saturn, located at about 78°N. [1] [2] [3] The sides of the hexagon are about 14,500 km (9,000 mi) long, [4] [5] [6] [7] which is about 2,000 km (1,200 mi) longer than the diameter of Earth. [8] .
Dec 10, 2012 · See the highest-resolution view of the hexagon, a six-sided jet stream at Saturn's north pole, and its surrounding storms in color filters. Learn how the Cassini mission captured this movie and what it reveals about the atmosphere of Saturn.
Saturn's hexagonal polar jet stream is the most prominent feature of almost every view of the north polar region of Saturn. The area, in shadow for the first part of the Cassini mission, welcomed the sunlight of a seven-year spring starting August 2009, allowing Cassini scientists to directly image the region in reflected light.
Aug 13, 2023 · Researchers have said that Saturn megastorms happen about every 29 years, when Saturn’s northern hemisphere is tilted most toward the sun in its approximate 29-year orbit. The following...
Oct 5, 2020 · A 3D simulation suggests that the six-sided vortex at Saturn's north pole is caused by deep convection and interaction of atmospheric flows. The study reveals how the storm is formed, why it is persistent, and how it differs from other storms on Earth and Saturn.
Dec 16, 2004 · See a rare storm on Saturn that looks like an arrowhead near the equator in this Hubble Space Telescope image. Learn how the storm is caused by warmer air upwellings and how it moves relative to the prevailing winds.
Jun 27, 2024 · Cassini scientists found that Saturn’s seasonal storm, also known as the Great White Spot, kicks up water vapor and other materials up from as deep as 100 miles (160 kilometers) below the cloud tops.
