Fun Fact #198

 Fun Fact # 198

The Hexes of Saturn

The rings of Saturn have rain other than the deteriorating rings which fall to the surface of the planet. However it falls at the poles rather than under the rings. This is due to the water of the rings being ionized by the Sun, which is then caught by Saturn’s Magnetosphere and carried to the poles, creating Ion storms with the most lightning found anywhere in the solar system. 

These storms also happen to be in the shape of Hexagons, due to atmospheric sub flows. Similar Hexagons have occurred on Earth, having been observed in Hurricanes but are usually unstable, dissipating faster than a normal Hurricane. However “Saturn’s Hex” has been there for 38 years, and is thought to be the only apparently stable Hexagonal Storm ever discovered.

Fun Fact #199

A sinking feeling

The Big Float

Saturn Happens to be the only planet that could float on water. This is due to its mass being primarily made up of Nitrogen which is lighter than air. However anything entering saturn’s atmosphere is likely to fall prey to it’s strong gravity and sink beneath the winds never to be seen again like what happened to the Cassini probe. 

(Image from Nasa.gov)