Of all the planets in our solar system, most people would agree that
Saturn is the most instantly recognizable. Its massive rings make it an
unmistakable sight, but despite its celebrity status among us
Earthlings, there’s still plenty we don’t know about it. Now, a new
series of images captured by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope is helping to
shed light on the iconic planet.
As NASA explains
in a new blog post, this new portrait reveals some interesting things
about Saturn’s ring structure and even offers some clues about the
planet’s intense weather.
First and foremost, the new portrait is absolutely gorgeous. It’s one
of the sharpest, most perfect captures of the ringed planet NASA has
ever produced, and it’s easy to lose yourself for a moment just staring
at it.
However, as NASA is quick to point out in a new blog post, pointing
Hubble’s lens at Saturn wasn’t just about capturing some new cosmic eye
candy:
These images, however, are more than just beauty shots.
They reveal a planet with a turbulent, dynamic atmosphere. This year’s
Hubble offering, for example, shows that a large storm visible in
the 2018 Hubble image in the north polar region has vanished. Smaller
storms pop into view like popcorn kernels popping in a microwave oven
before disappearing just as quickly. Even the planet’s banded structure
reveals subtle changes in color.
On the flip side, there are a few features that will remain immediately recognizable to astronomy fans, including the hexagonal shape
persisting on Saturn’s north pole. The unique mechanics that drive its
odd shape remain a mystery to scientists, but it doesn’t look like it’s
going anywhere so perhaps there’s still time to figure it out.
NASA
routinely snaps new images of the gaseous planets in our solar system,
so you can expect another updated image sometime next year. In the
meantime, this one will do just fine.
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