Space & Astronomy

Saturn's mystery hexagon has changed color

By T.K. Randall
October 27, 2016

Image: Saturn from Cassini Orbiter (2004)
Credit: (PD) NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute First observed during the original Voyager mission in the early 1980s, Saturn's hexagon is so large that it would almost be possible to fit the entire Earth inside it four times over.

Situated at the planet's north pole, the mysterious shape rotates once every 10 hours, 39 minutes.The nature and origins of such a distinctive cloud formation have long remained a topic of debate among scientists with most agreeing that it has something to do with differences in wind speeds.

Now however the mystery has deepened even further thanks to new images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft which show that the hexagon seems to have changed color from blue to gold.

It is thought that this transition may have something to do with seasonal changes - in particular the way in which sunlight falling on the poles has affected the production of aerosols in the atmosphere.


Source: BBC News

Tags: Saturn, Hexagon