Blizzard Rages on Saturn

NASA_Saturn_Blizzard.jpg
And here you thought the D.C. area “snowmageddon” was big–this one is about five times its size.
NASA astronomers and amateur skywatchers are currently transfixed by a massive blizzard raging on Saturn, one that’s large enough to see from Earth, Space.com reports.
The good news is that we can get much more detail about the storm, courtesy of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which is currently orbiting Saturn. However, NASA was first tipped off by amateur astronomers here on Earth, the report said.
Part of the problem is that Cassini’s imaging and spectrometer observations are locked in place months in advance, while the storm may appear and disappear in a matter of weeks. Cassini has other instruments dedicated to gathering weather-related data just like this, though, and is currently having a field day with the storm.
(The above image is from amateur astronomer Christopher Go, courtesy of NASA/JPL Caltech/GSFC).
No Responses to “Blizzard Rages on Saturn”

Post a Comment