Saturn's north pole region, Cassini image. This north polar hexagon region of the gas giant planet Saturn is in sunlight as spring comes to the planet


Saturn's north pole region, Cassini image. This north polar hexagon region of the gas giant planet Saturn is in sunlight as spring comes to the planet's northern hemisphere. Saturn takes 29 years to orbit the Sun. Smaller storms are seen within the larger pattern. The sides of the hexagon are each around 13,800 kilometres long. In the background is part of Saturn's rings (upper right). Saturn's shadow (upper left) partially obscures the rings. Image obtained on 27 November 2012, by the wide-angle camera on the orbiting Cassini spacecraft. A spectral filter was used that is sensitive to wavelengths of near-infrared light.


Size: 4233px × 4233px
Photo credit: © NASA/JPL-CALTECH/SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 27, 2012, angle, astronomical, astronomy, atmospheric, black--white, camera, cassini, cloud, clouds, gas, giant, hexagon, hexagonal, image, infrared, ir, meteorological, meteorology, monochrome, north, november, outer, pattern, patterns, phenomenon, planet, planetary, polar, pole, region, satellite, saturn, saturnian, science, shadow, solar, space, spring, standing, storm, storms, system, vortex, vortices, wac, wave, weather, wide, wide-angle