This mind-boggling storm at Saturn’s North Pole, captured by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft on Nov. 27, looks like it’s going to swallow you right up.
An incredible amount of detail can been seen of the magnificent storm system, with wispy clouds curling back on themselves as they swirl around the storm’s eye. Cassini captured the image in infrared wavelengths, which can peer deep into Saturn’s cloud layers. You can click on the image above to see a higher-resolution version or visit Cassini’s raw image page to gape at a few more shots of the storm.
The ringed gas giant planet is no stranger to such enormous maelstroms. During 2010 and 2011, Cassini captured the “Great Springtime Storm” on Saturn. This powerful system encircled the entire planet and was the largest storm Saturn had seen in more than 21 years, covering 2 billion square miles, or eight times the surface area of the Earth. Even after that storm calmed down, it produced the largest and hottest vortex ever seen in the solar system.
Image: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
Adam is a Wired reporter and freelance journalist. He lives in Oakland, Ca near a lake and enjoys space, physics, and other sciency things.
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Stare Into the Eye of This Insane Storm on Saturn
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Stare Into the Eye of This Insane Storm on Saturn
