# Cassini photographs of incredible atmospheric phenomenon on Saturn **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 27, 2007, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-photographs-of-incredible-atmospheric-phenomenon-on-saturn/397753 "2007-03-27T22:32:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-photographs-of-incredible-atmospheric-phenomenon-on-saturn/397753/21 "2007-03-28T14:38:55Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] \*\*[Geometric whirlpools revealed](http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060515/full/060515-17.html) \*\* [/QUOTE] Aliens put a giant spinning bucket on Saturn? ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-photographs-of-incredible-atmospheric-phenomenon-on-saturn/397753/22 "2007-03-28T15:06:54Z")
It’s darn cool, that’s for sure. Hexagons occur when you pack two-dimensional circles together- so it could be a group of storms as **if6was9** notes. But that kind of coherence in a weather system is amazing from an earthbound perspective. That’s why the Red Spot on Jupiter is so fascinating- the idea of a complex system of storms existing for such a long time is baffling. The location near the pole makes me wonder if it has a magnetic component. This sort of thing makes me feel like an intelligent dog- I don’t really get it, but I am really really fascinated by it. ---
**Author:** ![anamnesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@anamnesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anamnesis)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-photographs-of-incredible-atmospheric-phenomenon-on-saturn/397753/23 "2007-03-28T15:45:18Z")
I want to be an intelligent dog. A pug, like the one from Men In Black. I’d be adorable. I’m not sure why **if6was9** referred to the idea of six circles rotating around a seventh circle of the same size as “drivel”. That’s the best explanation I’ve seen yet. Even though it doesn’t seem like each node of the hexagon contains its own individual storm, the line changes direction to form circular arcs rather than points, which creates the exact shape he linked to. The idea makes sense, given that the Great Red Spot has also held its circular shape for so long. It’s just amazing to think that six equally sized circular storms might be rotating evenly around the magnetic pole of the planet. What else could it be? ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-photographs-of-incredible-atmospheric-phenomenon-on-saturn/397753/24 "2007-03-28T15:48:04Z")
My guess- the clouds are made up of iron vapor. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-photographs-of-incredible-atmospheric-phenomenon-on-saturn/397753/25 "2007-03-28T16:42:29Z")
[QUOTE=stolichnaya] The location near the pole makes me wonder if it has a magnetic component. [/QUOTE] Nah. The bolt holding the planet together is working its way out. Anyone have an extra large crescent or box wrench we could use to tighten it down, again? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-photographs-of-incredible-atmospheric-phenomenon-on-saturn/397753/26 "2007-03-28T16:47:55Z")
OK. I’m taking a vote: Do you want this thread merged with the [Giant Hexagon Storm on Saturn](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=414234) in **MPSIMS**? Do you want this thread closed to concentrate on the other? Do you want this thread moved to a different Forum, (provide an adequate argument to justify your proposal)? It is not a debate and it will not remain open here much longer. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-photographs-of-incredible-atmospheric-phenomenon-on-saturn/397753/27 "2007-03-28T17:15:52Z")
I vote close this one. ---
**Author:** ![Ferd\_Burfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@Ferd\_Burfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferd_Burfel)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cassini-photographs-of-incredible-atmospheric-phenomenon-on-saturn/397753/28 "2007-03-28T17:24:20Z")
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