"Hurricane" on Saturn has eyewall

[GeneratorPower]

Saturn hurricane
In November 2006, scientists discovered a storm at the south pole of Saturn with a distinct eyewall. This is characteristic of a hurricane on Earth and had never been seen on another planet before. Unlike a hurricane, the storm appears to be stationary at the pole. The storm is 8,000 kilometers (5,000 mi) across, 70 kilometres (43 mi) high with winds blowing 560 kilometers per hour (350 mph).[34] [35]

How about THAT for a hypercane?!?! 5,000 miles across, 43 miles high, and winds of 350mph. Oh, by the way, it's stationary too!

Fascinating stuff from Wikipedia at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassini%E2%80%93Huygens

(Near the end of the article.)

[Frank2]

Now that gets my vote as 90L...

LOL

[njweather]

Pictures!

The "hurricane" visualized at different wavelengths, shows unique features at different depths:

For a full explanation of the image, click: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA08333

A closeup:


Best of all, a 14sec movie of it twirling: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/videos/movies/PIA08332_full_movie.mov

Here's the full NASA/JPL press release: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-release-details.cfm?newsID=703

Interestingly enough, the eye of the hurricane is the deepest we've ever seen into Saturn (the dark spot in the middle are strange low-lying dark clouds).

[Canelaw99]

Space is just such an amazing place!! Thanks so much for posting all this!

[Buck]

Whoa, that's pretty fascinating!

[KWT]

Wow amazing photos, esp those low level clouds, I wonder if they are similar to the sorts of features you see in intense earth tropical cyclones in the eye?

[GeneratorPower]

What's really weird is the Canadian makes this a 750kt hurricane in 3 days.