Hexagon of Saturn

[DennisK]

I stumbled upon a video on YouTube regarding the NASA discovery (Cassini probe in March 07) of a colossal hexagonal storm on Saturn's north pole.  It is a seemingly constant phenomenon because it was consistent with Voyager missions' discoveries.  This is probably old news for many of you, but it is new to me and I find it fascinating.  What viable explanations are there about the cause of this bizarre storm (in laymen's terms please)?  The following video suggests that the energy is internal and there is "bizarre physics" at play.

Here's a link to NASA's video (click on the right labeled "Saturn's Cyclones":  http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/main/index.html

Here's the article: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/media/cassini-20070327.html

[curiosityandthecat]

S'new to me! It's quite interesting... never seen anything quite like it.

Here's the linkdirectly to the page with the images and animation.

[Wechtlein Uns]

Alas, it gives me hope that someday we will traverse the universe. We're going to crush those alien people who keep abducting us. Halo-style.  

[Zarathustra]

I stumbled upon a video on YouTube regarding the NASA discovery (Cassini probe in March 07) of a colossal hexagonal storm on Saturn's north pole.  It is a seemingly constant phenomenon because it was consistent with Voyager missions' discoveries.  This is probably old news for many of you, but it is new to me and I find it fascinating.  What viable explanations are there about the cause of this bizarre storm (in laymen's terms please)?  The following video suggests that the energy is internal and there is "bizarre physics" at play.

Here's a link to NASA's video (click on the right labeled "Saturn's Cyclones":  http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/main/index.html

Here's the article: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/media/cassini-20070327.html

Yeah this is so amazing as well.  
Uranus actually has an "eternal storm" as well.

[Whitney]

I had seen images of Saturn storms before but didn't notice they weren't circular.  That is interesting.

[DennisK]

Yeah this is so amazing as well.  
Uranus actually has an "eternal storm" as well.

Thanks.  I hadn't heard about Jupiter and Uranus.

[curiosityandthecat]

Thanks.  I hadn't heard about Jupiter and Uranus.

 

[karadan]

Wow!! That is super awesome! I'd never heard of that before.

I love the way nature constantly blind-sides us with findings such as this hexagon. I can imagine hundreds of cosmologists and scientists simultaneously spitting coffee all over their monitors when this was first observed.

[BadPoison]

:shock:

[oldschooldoc]

Thanks.  I hadn't heard about Jupiter and Uranus.

 

So juvenile...but I was thinking the same thing...haha  

[DennisK]

Thanks.  I hadn't heard about Jupiter and Uranus.

 

Actually, I pronounced it yer-in-us with an extra pause after yer so you didn't hear "urine".  Now that I think about it, my pronunciation may be interpreted as kinky.