Astronomers discover unusual 10-sided atmospheric wave on Saturn

Astronomers have discovered a striking 10-sided atmospheric wave around Saturn's south pole, an unusual feature not seen before. This discovery was made possible by images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based telescopes, as the planet's south pole became visible from Earth due to its axial tilt. The researchers found the wave between 2023 and 2025, suggesting it may still be evolving, unlike the long-standing hexagonal wave discovered around Saturn's north pole by NASA's Voyager mission in the 1980s.

The shape of the decagon-shaped wave is unique, with its vertices oscillating over a period of 32 days. This suggests the wave could be influenced by the atmospheric jet curvature. The researchers propose that the wave may have been created by a spatially periodic disturbance in the jet peak or driven by an "anticyclonic vortex" to its north.

However, further investigation is needed to understand the formation of this wave and its comparison to the hexagonal structure observed in the north. The study's lead author, Amy Simon from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, expressed surprise at the wave's sudden appearance, questioning why it emerged now when none had been detected before.