Astronomers Observe Colossal Saturn Storm

July 6, 2011 4:14 PM

The huge storm churning through the atmosphere in Saturn’s northern hemisphere overtakes itself as it encircles the planet in this true-color view from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. (NASA/JPL)

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LOS ANGELES (AP) – It began as a bright white dot in Saturn’s northern hemisphere. Within days, the dot grew larger and stormier.

Soon the tempest enveloped the ringed planet, triggering lightning flashes thousands of times more intense than on Earth.

The international Cassini spacecraft and ground telescopes have been tracking the turbulence since last December, visible from Earth as a type of storm known as a “Great White Spot.”

“It’s still going like crazy,” said Cassini project scientist Linda Spilker of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

>> Listen: Cassini Spacecraft Records Saturn Lightning

Such planet-wide weather disturbances are rare on Saturn, where the atmosphere is typically hazy and calm. Since 1876, astronomers have observed only five other megastorms on Saturn.

“This is a one-of-a-kind storm,” said Andrew Ingersoll, a self-described planetary weatherman at the California Institute of Technology, who was part of the discovery team.

Scientists have long studied weather on other planets. One of the solar system’s most famous landmarks is Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, a hurricane-like storm that has been raging for centuries. Landers and rovers to Mars’ surface often carried weather stations, dodged dust storms and sought favorable places to park during the winter.

An instrument aboard Cassini, which is orbiting Saturn, first picked up radio outbursts on Dec. 5, 2010 from a lightning storm. Around the same time, amateur astronomers peering through telescopes saw a bright point in Saturn’s northern half. Further observations confirmed it was a brewing storm.

The storm system, which occurred during the start of Saturn spring, grew in size and intensity, eventually stretching around the planet. Scientists don’t exactly know what stirs up the storms, but they think it could be linked to the change of seasons.

At the height of the storm, Cassini detected 10 lightning strikes per second. Scientists said the electrical activity emitted by the bursts were 10,000 times stronger than lightning on Earth.

The findings were described in two papers published in Thursday’s issue of the journal Nature.

The new work represents “some of the most detailed observations so far of such a dramatic event,” Peter Read of the University of Oxford wrote in an accompanying editorial.

Saturn’s violent weather differs from Earth and Jupiter in significant ways. Lightning storms on Earth tend to be localized and short-lived, lasting only a few hours. Jupiter storms can last for days and lightning is far more common there than on Saturn.

Since entering orbit around Saturn in 2004, Cassini has witnessed 10 storms in a region of the southern hemisphere known as “storm alley” because of the high level of storm activity.

The previous storms were much weaker compared with the latest one, the first to be detected in the northern hemisphere.

Astronomers Observe Colossal Saturn Storm

HL

Saturn’s spring? If its seasons are analogous to ours, it should be having
a simultaneous spring and autumn, depending which hemisphere is considered. Since the storm is occurring in its northern hemisphere, I think that answers the question not raised and answered in the article. HL

TSC

While Saturn does have a slighty larger tilt of it’s axis than earth (26 degrees for Saturn, 23 for earth), it’s large distance from the Sun means that the difference in solar radiation reaching it’s two hemispheres is not nearly as large as the difference between hemispheres here on earth.
Grant Smith

Yes we need a Saturn spring, not unlike our quote “Arab Spring” unquote. We can liberate the people of Saturn by bombing the $h1t out of them. This is the official policy, so be a patriot and bomb Saturn!

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/07/07/a-mini-movie-in-blackboard-form-why-the-lefts-global-warming-agenda-is-wrong/ <— Not really a left-right issue

David Bennett

I have heard that all of the solar system planets are heating up.

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread221608/pg1

I wouldn’t post ATS stuff but the article has links to interviews and whatnot suggesting Earth isn’t the only planet going through this. I think our solar system is moving through an area of galactic space that is more high-energy partical dense than what we had been in. We are hurtling through the galaxy ya know. Can’t expect the galaxy to be a smooth ride. I really wish Al Gore would . . .

wait for it . . .

STFU! and GTFO!
Cromulent

Jesse Jackson will travel to Saturn for a dialogue with authorities on Saturn concerning their discrimination against black spots.

c0mm0nsense

I think its racist that they call such a negative event a “White Spot”… I will be contacting the ACLU to file a class-action lawsuit on behalf of all Earth’s Caucasian people.

Guest

We all know geeeks are racist just look at ATA Master/Slave for example.
Frankie D

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) will introduce legislation to force the Saturn government to be more “color inclusive” in their storm naming.

President Obama in his monthly appearance with the White Hous Press corps, stated that, “The Saturn government acted stupidly” in naming the storm as they did. Obama admitted that he didn’t have all the facts about the naming, but that he decided to chastise them anyway.
President of Space

Rep. Lee was also wondering when she’ll be able to see the American flag that Neil Armstrong planted on Saturn.

Observer

Actually, this is a White spot because it is putting out energy, hence, work. If it was a Black spot (like a sunspot) it would be less active than everything else around it. And probably lobbying to tax its more productive neighbors to provide it lifestyle.
Grant Smith

Saturn is a perfectly cromulent planet.

Lab

comet impacts.” prepare” here also.
Lowsky

There go my vacaton plans for the fall
JoetheAssociate

Clearly this is the result of something man-made, right Algore? Oh wait, it must be Bush’s fault.
Troy

WOW! So about 100Billion volts to 1.2 TRILLION volts!!! (10,000 x the comparable Earth lightning values)
John

Have the checked the CO2 levels on Saturn? I am certain CO2 has something to do with the white spot, now I just need to get consensus to prove it.

That is how it works, right?
Kilgore Trout

And it’s ALL George Bush’s fault!

Kmandingo

Always an idiotic it’s Bush’s fault comment. KT, it’s been done and it’s not funny anymore.

CygnusX1

O.K., So please complain to Obama “The Dear Leader” and his minions about, still to this day, blaming Bush about every possible thing. The Dear Leader and his minions have been in charge for 29 months now. Seems to me it is time for them to “OWN” this economy after the spending they have implemented without a positive result.

All the “Blame Bush” comments here are sarcastic responses to what all the Libs and our Dear Leader have been saying all this time.

Norm

1937 don’t you realize that the clouds are plumes of many rocket contrails as the Saturnarian aliens blast off to INVADE the Earth

aelfheld

I for one welcome our new Saturnian overlords.

Grant Smith

Kent Brockman reference? Tasty.

mr mark

Your tax dollars at work, paying for studying storms on another planet!! Why are we paying for this? Let universities and businesses do this. Defund, or sell, NASA NOW!

aelfheld

The only government agency/project that’s been a net benefit to the country and the economy and you want to kill it.

Stupid doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Marcus

Saturn must be warming just like us. Or maybe changes just happen as part of nature. Nah! Locals there are probably burning fossil fuels like us here on Earth. Al Gore should get on this right away.
Heater Gekas

This needs to be investigated further. Seems only logical we should send someone there to check things out. Casey Anthony would be a great choice to send to Saturn!
Dan

This might have been asked before but how can Cassini “hear” lightning when it is in a vacuum? I don’t remember much of Jr High science class anymore.

CygnusX1

Radio antenna on board Cassini. The static discharge disrupts radio waves. If anyone still listens to AM radio, lightening strikes can be “Heard” from miles if not hundreds of miles depending on the intensity of the storm and various other factors. A vacuum does not have an effect on radio waves. This is why “Radio Astronomy Telescopes” can be used to discover so many events and activity in space that a optical telescope can not observe.

Dan

OK, thanks! That makes sense.

Hank Warren

Fake global warming, yet another violation of our rights. Add it to the list of gov’t violations of our rights:
They violate the 1st Amendment by placing protesters in cages, banning books like “America Deceived II” and censoring the internet.
They violate the 2nd Amendment by confiscating guns.
They violate the 4th and 5th Amendment by molesting airline passengers.
They violate the entire Constitution by starting undeclared wars for foreign countries.
Impeach Obama, vote for Ron Paul.
(Last link of Banned Book):
http://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000190526
Afterburner

Another clear indication of the serious effects of Global Warming Climate Change.

Mark

“Comet” ELEnin is in alignment with Saturn and the Sun today. Massive disturbances expected and observed. Wake up people. “Comet” ELEnin is not a comet…

Bob Schwartz

yeha Global warming
pancanfinfin

Looks more like the results of an impact or volcanism but Saturn is suppose to be a gaseous planet?

John

Yeah, don’t listen to the scientists. You know better Mr. Obama…er..I mean pancanfinfin.

BMF

The EPA is frantically writing new regulations to speed up the shut down of energy sources here in the US in order to prevent increasingly violent storms from occurring on Saturn.

Additionally, the IPCC is including a new chapter in its next report on the catastrophic impact on Saturn of Earthly global warming, global cooling, and climate change based on a 1976 Earth Day report written by Green Peace.
Sailordude

Open the pod bay doors Hal.

I can’t do that Dave, there is a storm outside.
WonderBoy

You’d need an industrial strength Flux Capacitor to handle that much juice, but what a ride!
J R

..and the selfish Saturnians still refuse to give up thier SUVs
Jmac5280

As fred (the pot) calls the kettle black
http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2011/07/07/saturns-superstorm-earth-now-the-only-planet-climate-becoming-more-turbulent/ Saturn’s superstorm: Earth now the only planet climate becoming more turbulent | The Extinction Protocol: 2012 and beyond

[...] The findings were described in two papers published in Thursday’s issue of the journal Nature. –CBS News This entry was posted in Extreme Weather Event, Solar Event, Space Watch. Bookmark the permalink. [...]
LeeP

The mothership is trying to achieve orbital escape velocity. Next stop- 3rd planet to refill the water tanks…….