Unraveling Saturn's Enigmatic 100-Year Megastorms
Scientists studying Saturn's mega storms have found evidence that fallout from these storms can last for centuries, challenging current theories of planetary formation. Radio emissions from Saturn's atmosphere revealed that the storms cause ammonia vapor to condense into "ammonia-rich mushballs" that rain down into the planet's depths, affecting its inner atmosphere. The storms, which resemble giant hurricanes, are different from their terrestrial counterparts as they form without the energy supply from a warm surface. The researchers also discovered that Saturn's atmospheric dynamics are substantially different from Jupiter's, with the bands on Saturn being dominated by the giant storms rather than temperature differences. The findings suggest a need to revise current theories of planetary formation.