Cassini watches storm on Saturn choke itself
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The evolution of a massive thunder-and-lightning storm that circled all the way around Saturn and fizzled when it ran into its own tail (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Hampton University)
Annotated view of the evolution of a massive thunder-and-lightning storm showing the storm head and vortex locations (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Hampton University)
Mosaic showing the trail of a great northern storm on Saturn raging in full force (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Hampton University)
Annotated mosaic showing the trail of a great northern storm on Saturn raging in full force (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Hampton University)
False-color mosaic showing the giant storm in Saturn's northern hemisphere about a month after it began (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Hampton University)
Wind chart of the vortex at the head of the great Saturnian storm showing it spinning in a clockwise direction (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Hampton University)
Frame from a GIF animation showing the vortex of the great Saturnian storm on January 11, 2011 (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Hampton University)
Set of images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft showing cloud patterns in a band around Saturn before a monstrous thunder-and-lightning storm erupted and again after the head of the storm had disappeared (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Hampton University)
False-color images showing a Saturnian storm slowly dissipating after running into its own tail (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Hampton University)
Saturn's northern storm marches through the planet's atmosphere (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)
Saturn as seen from Cassini (Image: JPL/NASA)
Saturn as seen by Cassini on its far side (Image: JPL/NASA)
Diagram of the Cassini probe (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Artist's concept of the Cassini probe (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Saturn's northern storm marches through the planet's atmosphere (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)
Saturn's northern storm marches through the planet's atmosphere (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)
Article Summary
NASA’s Cassini probe witnessed a giant storm on Saturn that raced around the ringed planet, ran into its own tail, and consumed itself like the legendary Ouroboros – a snake that eats its tail. The storm, which at its peak was almost as wide as the Earth, lasted for 267 days and was marked by violent lightning bursts and an unusual rise in air temperature. This self-destructing storm is a phenomenon never seen before, and sheds new light on Saturn’s meteorology that could help with weather prediction on Earth.
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