Storm on Saturn

Description

This huge storm (white swirling clouds at top) was the largest and most intense yet observed by the orbiting Cassini spacecraft. It developed over weeks in Saturn’s upper hemisphere until it circled the entire planet, which is a distance of over 300,000 kilometres at these latitudes. From top to bottom, the storm is around 15,000 kilometres across. It may be similar to previous storms (Great White Spots), possibly a seasonal phenomenon related to shadows cast by the rings. A Saturn year lasts 30 Earth years. This true-colour image was obtained on 25 February 2011. (Photo by Science Photo Library)