The Great Red Spot, a 10,000-mile-wide anticyclone, is the largest storm in the solar system and has adorned Jupiter’s surface for centuries.
A recent study reveals that Saturn, although less vibrant and colorful than Jupiter, also experiences long-lasting megastorms that have deep impacts in its atmosphere and persist for centuries.
Astronomers from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, conducted the study by examining radio emissions from Saturn, which originate from beneath its surface. They discovered long-term disruptions in the distribution of ammonia gas.
The findings of the study were published today in the journal Science Advances.
Megastorms occur approximately every 20 to 30 years on Saturn and resemble hurricanes on Earth, but they are significantly larger. However, the cause of these megastorms in Saturn’s atmosphere, which primarily consists of hydrogen and helium with traces of methane, water, and ammonia, remains unknown.
2023-08-12 20:00:03
Post from phys.org