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Space
Space
Science
Robert Lea

Mysterious polar weather on Jupiter and Saturn could be key to understanding their insides

(Left) the ringed gas giant Saturn (Right) Jupiter as seen by Hubble with a glowing polar vortex.

Scientists may finally know why Jupiter and Saturn have very different weather patterns at their poles, despite having similar sizes and compositions. The discovery could help researchers probe deep into the interiors of these giant gaseous planets.

Observations of the two solar system gas giants have revealed that Jupiter's north pole hosts a central polar vortex surrounded by eight smaller vortices, while Saturn has a single, strangely hexagonal, massive atmospheric whirlpool over its north pole.

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