. 24/7 Space News .
SATURN DAILY
Hubble Sees Changing Seasons on Saturn
by Bill Steigerwald for GSFC News
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Mar 19, 2021

Hubble Space Telescope images of Saturn taken in 2018, 2019, and 2020 as the planet's northern hemisphere summer transitions to fall. See gif animation here

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is giving astronomers a view of changes in Saturn's vast and turbulent atmosphere as the planet's northern hemisphere summer transitions to fall as shown in this series of images taken in 2018, 2019, and 2020 (left to right).

"These small year-to-year changes in Saturn's color bands are fascinating," said Amy Simon, planetary scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "As Saturn moves towards fall in its northern hemisphere, we see the polar and equatorial regions changing, but we are also seeing that the atmosphere varies on much shorter timescales." Simon is lead author of a paper on these observations published March 11 in Planetary Science Journal.

"What we found was a slight change from year-to-year in color, possibly cloud height, and winds - not surprising that the changes aren't huge, as we're only looking at a small fraction of a Saturn year," added Simon. "We expect big changes on a seasonal timescale, so this is showing the progression towards the next season."

The Hubble data show that from 2018 to 2020 the equator got 5 to 10 percent brighter, and the winds changed slightly. In 2018, winds measured near the equator were about 1,000 miles per hour (roughly 1,600 kilometers per hour), higher than those measured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during 2004-2009, when they were about 800 miles per hour (roughly 1,300 kilometers per hour).

In 2019 and 2020 they decreased back to the Cassini speeds. Saturn's winds also vary with altitude, so the change in measured speeds could possibly mean the clouds in 2018 were around 37 miles (about 60 kilometers) deeper than those measured during the Cassini mission. Further observations are needed to tell which is happening.

Saturn is the sixth planet from our Sun and orbits at a distance of about 886 million miles (1.4 billion kilometers) from the Sun. It takes around 29 Earth years to orbit the Sun, making each season on Saturn more than seven Earth years long.

Earth is tilted with respect to the Sun, which alters the amount of sunlight each hemisphere receives as our planet moves in its orbit. This variation in solar energy is what drives our seasonal changes. Saturn is tilted also, so as the seasons change on that distant world, the change in sunlight could be causing some of the observed atmospheric changes.

Like Jupiter, the solar system's largest planet, Saturn is a "gas giant" made mostly of hydrogen and helium, although there may be a rocky core deep inside. Enormous storms, some almost as large as Earth, occasionally erupt from deep within the atmosphere. Since many of the planets discovered around other stars are gas giants as well, astronomers are eager to learn more about how gas giant atmospheres work.

Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system, over 9 times wider than Earth, with more than 50 moons and a spectacular system of rings made primarily of water ice. Two of these moons, Titan and Enceladus, appear to have oceans beneath their icy crusts that might support life.

Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is the only moon in our solar system with a thick atmosphere, including clouds that rain liquid methane and other hydrocarbons on to the surface, forming rivers, lakes, and seas. This mix of chemicals is thought to be similar to that on Earth billions of years ago when life first emerged. NASA's Dragonfly mission will fly over the surface of Titan, touching down in various locations to search for the primal building blocks of life.

The Saturn observations are part of Hubble's Outer Planets Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program. "The OPAL program allows us to observe each of the outer planets with Hubble every year, enabling new discoveries and watching how each planet is changing over time," said Simon, principal investigator for OPAL.


Related Links
Hubble
Explore The Ring World of Saturn and her moons
Jupiter and its Moons
The million outer planets of a star called Sol
News Flash at Mercury


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


SATURN DAILY
Astronomers estimate Titan's largest sea is 1,000 feet deep
Cornell NY (SPX) Jan 21, 2021
Far below the gaseous atmospheric shroud on Saturn's largest moon, Titan, lies Kraken Mare, a sea of liquid methane. Cornell astronomers have estimated that sea to be at least 1,000 feet deep near its center - enough room for a potential robotic submarine to explore. After sifting through data from one of the final Titan flybys of the Cassini mission, the researchers detailed their findings in "The Bathymetry of Moray Sinus at Titan's Kraken Mare," which published Dec. 4, 2020, in the Journal of G ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

SATURN DAILY
Reports: Biden to tap Bill Nelson as NASA administrator

Russia's Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft re-docks on ISS

ISS crew once again uses tea leaves to locate air leak in Russian module Zvezda

Biden nominates former Democratic senator as NASA chief

SATURN DAILY
Arianespace signs with Avio for 10 additional Vega C launchers

FAA streamlined launch and reentry rule takes effect

All 38 satellites launched on Russia's Soyuz reach orbit: Roscosmos

India wants to win share of in Heavy Lift market from SpaceX

SATURN DAILY
Perseverance captures the sounds of driving on Mars

Swiss kids suit up for 'Mission to Mars'

For some scientists, Mars 2020 is a mission of perseverance

Mars helicopter Ingenuity could usher in new era of exploration

SATURN DAILY
China advances space cooperation in 2020: blue book

China selects astronauts for space station program

China tests high-thrust rocket engine for upcoming space station missions

China has over 300 satellites in orbit

SATURN DAILY
UK space sector gets funding boost to support international innovation

Arianespace to hit its stride with next OneWeb launch

Eutelsat selects Airbus for key orbital slot with EUTELSAT 36D satellite

Starlink reportedly courted by UK for rural broadband to get 'Gigafit'

SATURN DAILY
ThinKom antenna design offers flexible installation options for special-purpose aircraft

Hong Kong's fragile coral reefs boosted by 3D printing

Pioneering study gives new insight into formation of copper deposits

Spacepath Communications to provide solid-state amplifiers for US Market

SATURN DAILY
ASU scientists determine origin of strange interstellar object

SwRI researcher theorizes worlds with underground oceans support, conceal life

There might be many planets with water-rich atmospheres

How the habitability of exoplanets is influenced by their rocks

SATURN DAILY
SwRI scientists help identify the first stratospheric winds measured on Jupiter

Jupiter's Great Red Spot feeds on smaller storms

Juno reveals dark origins of one of Jupiter's grand light shows

SwRI scientists image a bright meteoroid explosion in Jupiter's atmosphere









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.