A Giant Hexagon Has Been Spinning at Saturn’s North Pole for Decades. Now, Scientists Found Its Twin
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a 10-sided decagon-shaped storm at Saturn's south pole. This follows the long-standing observation of a six-sided hexagonal storm at the planet's north pole.
Why it matters
The discovery of a new atmospheric pattern on Saturn provides scientists with fresh data to understand the complex fluid dynamics of gas giants.
When NASA’s Voyager spacecraft flew past Saturn in 1980, it spotted something unlike anything scientists had seen before: a colossal, six-sided storm swirling around the planet’s north pole . The strange hexagon has persisted for decades, becoming one of Saturn’s most mysterious features. But now, astronomers may have found something even more surprising—a similar pattern emerging on the opposite side of the planet.
Images captured by the Hubble space telescope revealed a growing decagon-shaped wave around Saturn’s south pole. The 10-sided storm appears to have developed between 2023 and 2025 and may be evolving to this today, unlike its counterpart that has remained stable for more than 40 years. The new discovery is detailed in a paper published Wednesday in Science Advances.
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