Astronomers Confirm 10-Sided Saturn Decagon With 16,800-Km Sides at South Pole
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Sep 4
Astronomers Confirm 10-Sided Saturn Decagon With 16,800-Km Sides at South Pole
3 articles · Updated · WIRED · Sep 4
Summary
Hubble data confirmed a 10-sided atmospheric pattern at Saturn’s south pole after researchers traced hints of the feature back to 2023 and saw its 10 vertices sharpen by 2025.
Each side spans about 16,800 kilometers, while a nearby jet stream races at 116 meters per second even as the decagon itself drifts at just 2.5 meters per second.
The finding gives Saturn a southern counterpart to the north-polar hexagon first seen 44 years ago, ending decades of unsuccessful searches for a long-lived matching structure.
Scientists think the shape may be an atmospheric wave trapped by powerful jet streams, but they still do not know what triggered it, how deep it extends or how long it will last.
Researchers plan to keep tracking the decagon with Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope to test whether Saturn’s seasons, winds and rapid rotation help generate the polygon.