Researchers Discover How Saturn’s Giant Hexagonal Storm Was Formed

A group of researchers possibly explained the formation of the massive hexagon-shaped storm in Saturn by creating an atmospheric model of the planet.

The study on Saturn’s bizarre storm, carried out by researchers from Harvard University, presented findings in a new paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Since 1981, NASA has been aware of the massive hexagon-shaped feature in the Saturn through its Voyager mission. Through follow-up observations, such as those carried out by the Cassini probe, the agency learned that the strange feature is actually a massive storm that extends thousands of kilometers deep into Saturn’s atmosphere.

For decades, scientists have been trying to understand how the hexagonal storm formed on the planet. One theory suggests that alternating jets coming from deep within the atmosphere where gas is more turbulent formed it.

A group of researchers presented a recent study that better explains the atmospheric activity of Saturn. Using a 3D model, the researchers illustrated the factors that may have led to the formation of the planet’s hexagonal storm.

The researchers explain that gas giants, such as Saturn, have massive polar cyclones forming in their outer layers. Aside from cyclones, the atmospheric conditions of gas giants can also trigger the formation of alternating zonal flows and a high-latitude eastward jet pattern.

The interaction between these factors may have led to the formation of massive vortices that can affect the movement of eastward jets, creating a distinct shape in the atmosphere.

“The analysis of the simulation suggests that self-organized turbulence in the form of giant vortices pinches the eastward jet, forming polygonal shapes,” the researchers wrote in their study. “We argue that a similar mechanism is responsible for exciting Saturn's hexagonal flow pattern.”

Although the researchers could only create triangle-shaped storms using their 3D model, they noted that their method only takes into account a portion of Saturn’s radius. This means the model does not provide a complete representation of the planet’s atmosphere.