Eye of the storm at Saturn's north pole

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the recent images of a storm at Saturn's north pole captured by the Cassini probe, specifically focusing on the dimensions of the storm and the hexagonal structure observed in the images. Participants express excitement about the visuals and seek to understand the characteristics and causes of these phenomena.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses excitement about the Cassini images and inquires about the dimensions of the inner vortex of the storm, noting that NASA's webpage lacks specific size information.
  • Another participant suggests that the hexagonal structure observed in the images has a diameter of approximately 25,000 km, while estimating the inner part's diameter to be around 2,000 km.
  • A third participant references a link that may provide additional information about the hexagonal structure, indicating a desire to explore further explanations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the cause of the hexagonal structure, and there are multiple viewpoints regarding its dimensions and characteristics. The discussion remains open-ended with no definitive conclusions drawn.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the lack of specific measurements for the storm's size and the nature of the hexagonal structure, as well as the dependence on external sources for further information.

stargazer3
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Hi! I'm really excited about recent APoD picture, which shows Cassini's photo of a gigantic storm on Saturn's north pole. They also have an animation! I can't wait for a colour picture and videos.

Meanwhile, since I still didn't state the purpose of this thread, what are the inner vortex dimensions? NASA's webpage says the probe took the picture from four hundred thousand kilometers away, but I can't find anything about the storm size.

Also, the http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/imagedetails/index.cfm?imageId=4679 image shows an evident hexogonal structure, what on Earth is it caused by?
 
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stargazer3 said:
Also, the http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/imagedetails/index.cfm?imageId=4679 image shows an evident hexogonal structure, what on Earth is it caused by?
I do not think it is caused by anything on earth.
Sorry, could not resist ;).

I found 25000km as diameter for the hexagonal structure. Comparing this with an image of both together, this would indicate ~2000km for the diameter of the inner part.
 
Now that is seriously impressive

thanks for the links :)

Dave
 

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