2023-12-29 06:44:03
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Saturn’s rings
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a recent image revealing mysterious shadows on Saturn’s rings, marking the latest observation of a strange phenomenon known as “spokes” that continues to baffle scientists.
At first glance, the image of Saturn may look like an old snapshot. But this composite image was taken on October 22, 2023 by the Hubble Space Telescope, and more importantly, it captured very interesting details, when Saturn was regarding 1.37 billion kilometers (850 million miles) away, according to the US space agency.
The space telescope has been orbiting the Earth for more than 3 decades, and has provided valuable information.
Scientists have been aware of the mysterious “radial bars” phenomenon in Saturn’s rings for a long time. These strange features resemble ghosts that glide along the rings and can be observed in different locations depending on the position of Saturn in its orbital cycle.
If you look carefully at the thick white inner band of Saturn’s rings, you will see mysterious shapes, which are fleeting Earth-sized features that appear to rotate with the rings. But ultimately, scientists have no idea what it is.
The “radial bars” can only be seen for two or three orbits around the planet before they disappear, meaning catching them while they appear has historically been a difficult task. It was first observed in 1981 by Voyager 2, and then once more several times during the Cassini mission, which orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017. Now, Hubble is observing this unusual feature as part of the Exoplanet Legacy Program (OPAL). Who monitors the weather on the gas giants in our solar system.
Tis the spoke season!
Hubble observed “ring spokes” on Saturn, seen as the faint gray smudges along the rings.
These spokes are likely levitated dust or ice caused by interactions between Saturn’s magnetic field and the Sun’s solar wind particles: pic.twitter.com/C6i7tgZhwB
— Hubble (@NASAHubble) December 21, 2023
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