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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- In the Center of Saturn's North Polar Vortex
NASA ^
| December 04, 2012
| (see photo credit)
Posted on 12/04/2012 8:30:49 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Explanation: What's happening at the north pole of Saturn? A vortex of strange and complex swirling clouds. The center of this vortex was imaged in unprecedented detail last week by the robotic Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn. These clouds lie at the center of the unusual hexagonal cloud system that surrounds the north pole of Saturn. Saturn's north pole precessed into sunlight just a few years ago, with Cassini taking only infrared images of the shadowed region previously. The above image is raw and unprocessed and is being prepared for release in 2013. Several similar images of the region have recently been condensed into a movie. Planetary scientists are sure to continue to study this most unusual cloud formation for quite some time.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; polarvortex; saturn; science
1
posted on
12/04/2012 8:30:58 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...
2
posted on
12/04/2012 8:32:14 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
To: SunkenCiv
Oh No! Mr. Bill!!! Gerbil warming on Saturn!
3
posted on
12/04/2012 8:53:05 PM PST
by
Rembrandt
(Part of the 51% who pay Federal taxes)
To: SunkenCiv
Without my glasses I read this as In the Center of Santa's North Pole Vortex
4
posted on
12/04/2012 9:00:25 PM PST
by
Bon of Babble
(Instant Human....Add Coffee)
To: SunkenCiv
Anyone know what the scale of this pic is? So hard for a simpleton like me to tell with a gas giant feature whether you should a scale bar in km or Earths...
5
posted on
12/05/2012 2:05:35 AM PST
by
verum ago
(Some people must truly be in love, for only love can be so blind.)
To: verum ago
I posted an article from "Universe Today" last week about Saturn's Hexagon you can link to here
Free Republic:Incredible Raw Image of Saturn's North Pole Hexagon.
As I vaguely recall someone posted the comparative size of the Earth within the Hexagon and I created the image of the Earth as the blue circle within the Hexagon from memory so it's approximate.
6
posted on
12/05/2012 8:12:01 AM PST
by
lbryce
(BHO:"Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds by way Oppenheiner at Trinity NM)
To: lbryce
Thanks, but I just found out this morning that the sides of the overall hexagonal feature are about 13,800 km long, whereas Earth's mean diameter is 12,742 km.
Since this vortex is the small feature in the center of the overall hexagon:
I'd estimate the field of view in this picture below to be about 2500 km across:
For reference, the largest tropical cyclone I can find on record is Typhoon Tip, at 2200 km across:
I feel bad correcting you after you tried to answer my question...
7
posted on
12/05/2012 11:57:31 AM PST
by
verum ago
(Some people must truly be in love, for only love can be so blind.)
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