In the atmosphere of Saturn there is a giant vortex of regular hexagonal shape

On the surface of Saturn, strange processes take place, the explanation of which astrophysicists cannot find. Hexagonal vortices have already been dubbed an atmospheric phenomenon, and the latest data from the Cassini apparatus only added food for thought.

Scientists drew attention to a strange atmospheric formation at the north pole of Saturn after images taken from the Cassini orbiter. The diameter of a huge vortex in the shape of a hexagon is 25,000 kilometers. Gas flows are constantly rotating, and, as astrophysicists believe, the height of this atmospheric system can be 100 kilometers.

For the first time this hexagonal whirlwind was captured by the Voyager-1 and Voyager-2 interplanetary stations back in the 80s of the last century. But since the pictures were small and did not cover all the scales of what was happening on Saturn, no one paid special attention to these frames. And only when the Cassini apparatus transmitted images from the surface of the north pole of Saturn to NASA, scientists compared the available data and came to the conclusion that this is a stable atmospheric formation that has existed on the surface of the gas giant for more than a year.

Scientists were able to find out that the direction of rotation of the hexagonal vortex coincides with the direction of rotation of the planet itself, and it was also suggested that this vortex is seasonal. Experts from Oxford University conducted experiments to simulate atmospheric processes at the north pole of Saturn. They managed to get the desired hexagonal shape of the vortex, but the reason for its occurrence and the exact mechanism of action are still not clear.

The device "Cassini" before the death managed to transfer a lot of pictures and other materials, the decoding of which is still ongoing. NASA experts hope that soon they will be able to solve the mystery of this phenomenon that exists on the distant gas giant.