Comments on: Cassini Finds New Mysterious Infrared Aurora

By: Dark Gnat

Dark Gnat — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:00:21 +0000

I imagine there is a lot of heat in Saturn's interior. That could be the heat source fot the scenarios you mentioned.

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:21:45 +0000

I just finished reading an article about thermodynamics in Scientific American. It seems that, if you have a thin fluid layer and heat it from the bottom, a strange thing happens. As the temperature gradient across the layer increases it begins to move. Not chaotically, as you might expect, but quite orderly. In fact, the fluid will form small hexagonal cells as though it were a crystal!
Only continued heating will produce turbulence. Is it possible that the observed hexagon pattern on Saturn is somehow related to this phenomenon? If it's not, it sure is a heck of a coincidence!

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:32:13 +0000

The correspondence of the infrared aurora and the hexagon indicates, one may suspect, a connection between the two. Auroras are the photon emissions of plasma/electron currents (a finding supported by the recent Cluster satellites in Earth orbit), so it's reasonable to conjecture that the hexagon is an electrically induced phenomenon.

By: marcellus

marcellus — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:19:31 +0000

Saturn doesn't have enough mass to become a star.

Very cool and unusual story and pictures. That hexagonal feature has always puzzled me, too.

By: john

john — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:22:10 +0000

Wow, more magical photography. Thanks

By: zubree

zubree — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:19:51 +0000

Maybe Saturn the giant gaseous planet wants to become a new star and is igniting, it large enough.

By: Feenixx

Feenixx — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:30:48 +0000

Mathieu Clerte asks:
"Why wouldn't the infrared and ultraviolet aurorae be two different signatures of the same aurora ?"

if I follow it correctly:

one of them changes predictably a the Solar Wind changes.

the other changes unpredictably

By: Mathieu Clerte

Mathieu Clerte — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:49:04 +0000

Why wouldn't the infrared and ultraviolet aurorae be two different signatures of the same aurora ?

By: Silver Thread

Silver Thread — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:50:40 +0000

It shows in infrared only or does it have a signature n other wavelengths?

By: Bunnyman

Bunnyman — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:56:05 +0000

Completely amazing stuff. It seems almost daily new and totally unexpected things are discovered.

By: H-town Mack

H-town Mack — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:52:30 +0000

It does look peculiar. I always wondered if aliens were "hanging out" on the other planets of the solar system. Only time will tell…

By: Peter

Peter — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:22:59 +0000

Might just be that picture but it lines up with the hexagon remarkably well!