Thursday, November 09, 2006

Looking into the Eye of a Monster

NASA Sees into the Eye of a Monster Storm on Saturn

11.09.06

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has seen something never before seen on another planet -- a hurricane-like storm at Saturn's south pole with a well-developed eye, ringed by towering clouds.

The "hurricane" spans a dark area inside a thick, brighter ring of clouds. It is approximately 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) across, or two thirds the diameter of Earth.








http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/main/index.html
Movie


Eye-wall clouds are a distinguishing feature of hurricanes on Earth. They form where moist air flows inward across the ocean's surface, rising vertically and releasing a heavy rain around an interior circle of descending air that is the eye of the storm itself. Though it is uncertain whether such moist convection is driving Saturn's storm, the dark "eye" at the pole, the eye-wall clouds and the spiral arms together indicate a hurricane-like system.
Interestingly, the storm seems to be locked on to the south pole of Saturn.

The only blog inspired by a Bumper Sticker.
CrispAds Blog Ads

Google
Enter a long URL to make tiny: